A PENARTH special school is facing its most difficult time yet as staffing levels drop to a "dangerous low."
Nearly all the children at Ashgrove Special School on Sully Road have been statemented to say they require Occupational Therapy (OT) and Speech Therapy (ST). But for at least the last two years, the posts have only been filled part-time.
A meeting was held at the school on Thursday, November 15 with several officials invited to answer how the situation could be improved.
Roger Thomas Jones, the stepfather of a pupil at Ashgrove, told the Penarth Times: "Of the seven officials invited one turned up. As a parent, I felt our questions were belittled and patronised."
The meeting was well attended by parents. Roger added: "There was a very strong show of support, mainly because parents are so worried the quality of attention their children need is not being met."
The LEA continue to statement children to Ashgrove school as the best place for special needs education in the Vale of Glamorgan. But it seems as though the problems are not going to be easily solved.
Roger said: "The worse thing about this situation is that no-one is taking responsibility for it. And while the buck is constantly passed, our children are going to suffer.
"We were prevented from asking many of the questions tabled to save time in the meeting. But it still hasn't cleared up a confusion most parents feel is blighting the reputation of a once well-prepared school."
He added: "There is now too much pressure on the teachers still there.
"I think I heard mentioned that a therapist is in the school just one day a week. With 80 children, all of different levels of requirement, this is just not good enough."
