Decision to close Derbyshire school deemed “educational lifeline” for SEND children may have “devastating and immeasurable” impact, psychologist says
A a consultant clinical psychologist, who works with children attending a historic Derbyshire school set for sudden closure, has slammed the decision which could have “devastating and immeasurable” impact on SEND children
Abbotsholme School, a historic independent school located on Derbyshire and Staffordshire border, is set to close its doors on June 22.
The shocking news was broken to the school community on Thursday, June 4 – leaving parents with just a two weeks notice to find new educational setting for their children.
Abbotsholme School, which opened its doors in 1889, offers education to almost 300 pupils aged between two and 20 – with a high number of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reportedly attending the school.
Dr Jen Greenwood, a consultant clinical psychologist from Matlock, who works with many pupils attending the school, has slammed the decision to close Abbotsholme.
She said: “The loss of Abbotsholme would leave a gap that cannot easily be filled.
"For many children and families, the impact would be devastating and immeasurable.
“Around one third of children in the school have diagnosed SEND needs with many more undiagnosed. There are over one hundred children who are planed in the school by local authorities on EHCPs.
"Abbotsholme is a truly unique provision and, in my professional experience, one of the very few places that successfully supports a group of children who too often fall through the gaps in our education system.
"Many of the children I work with do not fit neatly into existing educational pathways.
"They may not thrive in mainstream schools, yet they may also not require — or be appropriately placed within — traditional specialist settings.
"These are the “in-between” children: children with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, acquired brain injuries, sensory processing differences, anxiety, school-based trauma, neurodivergent burnout and other complex profiles.
"For these children and their families, Abbotsholme has been life changing.”
Dr Greenwood, who has supported a number of children who have been out of education for months before being enrolled Abbotsholme has described transformation pupils have undergone at the school.
She said: “I have seen children who have lost confidence, lost friendships, lost trust in adults and lost the belief that school could ever be somewhere they belonged.
"At Abbotsholme, those same children have been able to feel safe again.
"They have rebuilt their confidence, formed meaningful relationships, rediscovered a love of learning and, most importantly, been allowed to be children again.
“That transformation does not come from a building or a curriculum alone. It comes from a culture.
"It comes from exceptional staff who understand that behaviour is communication, who see the child behind the diagnosis, and who recognise that emotional safety is the foundation upon which all learning is built.
"And the staff at Abbotsholme are, quite simply, second to none.”
Dr Greenwood further highlighted the importance of the school in the current SEND crisis – with hundreds of children with complex needs left without a school place.
She said: “"At a time when we are facing a national crisis in SEND provision, with increasing numbers of children unable to attend school and families desperately searching for suitable placements, Abbotsholme should not be closing.
"It should be recognised as an example of what inclusive education can look like when it is done well. It should be a model for how we support the children who currently have nowhere else to go.
“The impact of losing this school cannot be captured on a spreadsheet.
"It is not simply about pupil numbers, finances, or a site. It is about children who finally found somewhere they were understood. It is about families who have spent years fighting for their child to have access to an education that meets their needs.
It is about young people whose futures have been transformed because Abbotsholme existed.
"My fear is that decisions have been made by individuals who may not fully understand what they have acquired: not just a school, but an irreplaceable community and an educational lifeline for some of the most misunderstood children and young people.
"I sincerely hope there remains an opportunity for this decision to be reconsidered and for a way forward to be found.”
The Derbyshire Times has approached the school for a comment.