Barnstaple school will close ‘vital’ special educational needs centre

Parents whose children attend Pathfield School in Barnstaple are fearful for their future after the school announced plans to close a ‘vital’ off-site centre for children with specific special educational needs.

The school has confirmed its Discovery Centre on Pottington – which includes the Pathways unit – will close in September 2025 and the existing students there transferred to the main school in Abbey Road.

Pathways currently provides education for 23 students with social, emotional and mental health needs (SEMH), which also includes those with autism and severe learning difficulties.

A consultation launched in July originally sought to reduce the number of places at Pathfield School to 168 from 186. A backlash from parents saw this proposal withdrawn but the school is pushing ahead with plans to close the Discovery Centre, which it says is ‘financially unsustainable’.

The school will not take on any new students with SEMH needs and instead says it will ‘refocus’ on its primary role of helping children with severe learning difficulties (SLD) or profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD)

The remaining Pathways students will be moved to a ‘dedicated space’ at the Abbey Road site, but parents of existing SEMH students fear the closure will harm their education and general wellbeing.

“The current Pathways unit is ideal for students like my daughter, who can struggle with sensory issues and become easily overwhelmed,” said Naomi Phelps, whose daughter is in Year 7 of the school.

“There are lots of spaces where they can easily take time out to themselves and the children have really flourished in this environment and the staff at Pathways go over and above to support our children. To move them to a busy facility in a large school with almost 200 pupils would be hugely detrimental to their education.”

The parents say closing a facility when special educational need (SEND) demand is higher than ever is ‘a step in the wrong direction’.

Pathfield has said it would continue to consider future SEMH students being enrolled if they also had additional needs, but parents argue their children already qualify as they all have education health care plans (EHCP).

Naomi added: “In Devon I believe there are 700-plus children waiting for SEND places, many have SEMH. Pathfield gets daily requests for students to attend Pathways, which are declined.

“A new SEMH unit has been opened in Oakhampton. This is too far for many of our children to go to as most of them suffer with extreme separation anxiety. 

“Even if we decide to move my daughter to the main Pathfield site, by the time that she reaches Year 11 she will be the only student in her class.

“Which means she’ll lose all of the social benefits that have really helped her to thrive during her time at Pathways.”

Pathfield headteacher Stuart Allman said: “As head at this school for almost four years, I know that change can bring with it concern among parents and pupils.

“We are very mindful of the needs of all our pupils and while no decision has been made yet about where the dedicated facility will be at the main school site, every step will be taken to ensure that pupils' needs continue to be met in a space that is appropriate.

“We will update parents and pupils regarding where on the main site the facility will be, as soon we can.”

Mr Allman said there was a meeting planned in September for concerned parents with representatives from the governing body.

A spokesperson for Devon County Council added: “The school stopped its consultation on its proposal to reduce pupil numbers, so it’s not reducing its intake.

“The school is however, and always has been, registered to support pupils whose primary needs are severe learning difficulties (SLD) or profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). 

“In very recent years, the school has in addition taken a small number of pupils who do not have SLD or PMLD, with social emotional mental health (SEMH) as their primary need, but it is now re-focusing its support on children who have SLD or PMLD needs, as per its designation.

“The school may consider taking children who have an SEMH need if they have SLD or PMLD, if they can meet their combined needs.

“Because the school isn’t planning to reduce its pupil numbers, potentially it means that they will be able to take more children with SLD and PMLD.”