THE future of special schools was thrown into confusion for parents when they heard that a key school was being shut down for good.

But Worcestershire County Council's closure of Cliffey House School, in Hanley Castle, is paving the way for a new inclusive education system.

The council's cabinet last week agreed to approve the special educational needs (SEN) policy and to discontinue plans to relocate Cliffey House into Worcester.

And parents of children with SEN are being told to rest easy.

Ruth Chiva, head of school services at Worcestershire County Council, says inclusive education will mean better education.

"We've got some really good special schools in this county and we're very proud of them," said the former SEN teacher.

"Whatever we provide is going to be as good, if not better, than that which would have been provided in a special school."

The plans are in response to Government legislation, which prescribes that children should not be separated from their peers.

Special units will be set up in mainstream schools to allow special needs teachers to liaise with staff.

Children with SEN will be taught in mainstream lessons, but will also have the support of the unit.

"I went to one secondary school as a teacher and I was horrified with what I found," said Ms Chiva.

"They were being taught away from the other pupils and spent breaks in a small area. They were being kept as children simply because they didn't learn as easily.

"They were the same as the other children - interested in make-up and pop music - but they weren't able to share those things.

"This is about making them part of a peer group.

"There's legislation that we must adhere to but we've got to safeguard the needs of the children.

"Parents are understandably anxious because in these special schools they don't experience what we're suggesting.

"A lot of these children came out of mainstream schools five years ago or more.

"The world has moved on rapidly. It's a long time in education.

"Practices in mainstream schools are far more inclusive, they track the performance and targeting of all children, not just those with special needs.

"Children with SEN have always done well in primary schools in general. They've one teacher who gets to know them very well.

"It's more difficult at secondary because there's far more movement, the pace of the curriculum picks up.

"We've got to make sure we put structures in place to ensure children feel secure and their needs are met."

Mainstream schools across the county will have units attached to them.

It will mean that pupils with moderate learning difficulties will no longer have to travel from homes in Evesham, Droitwich, Worcester and Malvern to the crumbling Cliffey House School.

"There was always the intention to close Cliffey House and change," said Ms Chiva.

"That will mark the start of changing the system.

"It's schools for children with moderate learning difficulties that we're going to be looking at initially and moving those children into mainstream schools.

"It's not going to be overnight. It will be 10 years before we've got what we want."

Ms Chiva and her team will soon begin a lengthy consultation process with parents, teachers and other specialists.

But she says parents need not fear that all special schools will be shut down.

"There will be special schools but they will change in character," she said.

"There are a lot of special schools working with mainstream schools already.

"Why have we got schools for children who can work in mainstream schools?

"We have now got to look at how we're going to integrate. We're not going to transfer special schools into mainstream schools - they will be part of the school.

"Children who haven't got a statement of special educational needs should also be able to use those resources.

"It's about making the curriculum appropriate to each child. You change what you do so they can succeed.

"Special schools are beginning to shrink. I don't think they will shrink any more - they will be restructured.

"Special schools will grow, but the number we have will reduce."

The SEN policy recommends that each area of the county has a broad spectrum of primary and secondary phase special schools to provide for children with autism, profound and multiple learning difficulties, physical impairments and severe learning difficulties.

There will be a small number of places for children with moderate learning difficulties who may need a longer, more supported transition to mainstream education.

A residential unit for children who are currently being taught out of the county is also in the pipeline.