We are concerned parents whose peace of mind is being disrupted due to a proposed plan to move Thomas Ashton School into the vacant school that adjoins Aldwyns primary. 

Thomas Ashton school supports children with severe behavioral issues who are unable to attend mainstream schools. Ofsted have deemed this an inadequate school from a behavioural, education and management perspective.

Quotes directly from Ofsted

incidents of unacceptable and harmful behaviour need to diminish 

The pupils show a lack of respect towards their peers and to staff. At times, this results in learning being disrupted or the use of harmful and derogatory name-calling

The school and governors cannot be fully assured that all the necessary actions to keep pupils safe have happened

There have been 6 incidents in the past year involving the police within the proposed schools area and 0 around Aldwyns. The latest incident in Sept 24 being a public order

Whilst I strongly believe all children must have a place at school to support their development and well-being, if this plan goes ahead the proposed school would share facilities with our children's school which raises safety concerns due to exposure which cannot be overlooked.

For example, the American Psychological Association cites that children without behavioral issues, when exposed to others with these problems, may experience anxiety, fear, and even develop mimic undesirable behaviors. With these facts in hand, it is clear that the decision to share facilities between such different schools puts numerous students at risk both emotionally and physically. The safety and well-being of all children should always be our prime concern.

The facilities are not suitable for children with behavioural issues. There are large glass windows and a number of open spaces that have historically been shared between schools. There are many locations within Aldwyns that would be compromised and would have a negative impact on the children of Aldwyns. These include:

* The quiet space that joins Aldwyn's and Hawthorn's hall
* The Peace Garden
* Floor to ceiling glazed corridors 
* A number of large glazed windows and doors opening out onto shared spaces
* Shared footpaths and shared access around the school
* Shared school field
* Shared forest school area
* Hawthorns rear playground can be seen and heard from Aldwyns Key Stage 2 playground
* Also, the Local Authority will need to address the access onto the school site, as at the moment, the children from both schools currently walk through one gate

The objection to this proposed plan stems from a place of caring and concern. We have a responsibility to provide the children from both Schools with safe, secure, and conducive environments for learning. The current proposal undermines these fundamentals. Therefore, we urge the council to reconsider this and work towards a different proposal that does not compromise our children's safety and quality of education. Every child deserves an education and children with behavioural and mental health issues need to have specific facilities for their needs, separate from a mainstream school.

Aldwyns Primary School has not been consulted on the matter and neither has the local neighbourhood. 

Every signature on this petition is a stand for the safety of our children. Each one symbolises our collective voice saying 'no' to this potentially harmful plan. We invite you to sign this petition and join us in making sure our children’s safety and well being remain paramount.

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