Parents critical of school's special needs support

Some parents said SEN provision at Millthorpe School in York had declined since 2022

A group of parents have criticised a York secondary school over “unstructured” support for children with special educational needs (SEN).

Families said the provision at Millthorpe School had deteriorated after several teaching assistants left in 2022.

They said some children had been left “way behind” their peers.

South Bank Multi Academy Trust (MAT), which runs the school, said the complaints had come from a “small number of unrepresentative voices”.

A parent, who wanted to remain anonymous, told BBC Look North her autistic daughter had been left anxious about going into school and was now “way behind” in her education.

She said: “She's gone back so far that I don't know how we're ever going to get her back to where she should be.”

'Under-resourced'

She said she felt staff were doing their best but were “under-resourced”, and she blamed the South Bank MAT for the failings.

She said: “The teachers and teaching assistants (TAs) want what's best for the children, but their hands are tied in what they can do.”

Another parent said she moved her autistic daughter to a different school because she was struggling.

She said: “There was just no support. She was left with agency teaching assistants who didn’t know her.

“Quite often she was punished and chastised for behaviours which she couldn’t help. It’s been devastating.”

Other parents of children with special educational needs at Millthorpe School told the BBC support had previously been very good.

They said teaching assistants had left the school following proposed changes to their employment contracts in 2022.

One mother said she had moved her daughter out of the school

York Central MP Rachael Maskell said she was concerned about a change in the “culture” of the school.

The Labour MP has previously raised issues related to Millthorpe School and the academy trust in Parliament.

She said: “The school had an incredible reputation across the city. Parents would want their children to go to Millthorpe. That’s no longer the case.

“There’s been a change in the management structure and leadership, and as a result of that the culture of the school has changed.”

On 16 January, Ms Maskell received a written answer from Education Minister Damien Hinds who said the regional director for the Department for Education was "satisfied" with the performance of the academies within the South Bank MAT.

Mr Hinds also said Ofsted would not be commissioned to further investigate the trust.

'Dedicated staff'

Although Millthorpe School is not maintained by the local authority, some parents contacted their local ward councillors for help.

City of York councillor Peter Kilbane said: “We have tried to engage with the trust, we have invited them to public meetings. Instead of engaging, they have chosen to attack the messenger.”

In a statement, South Bank MAT said it always welcomed feedback from parents.

Views shared by parents of children with SEN at drop-in sessions this year had been “overwhelmingly positive”, it said.

It said: “Our SEND department and TAs are exceptional and work hard to provide the very best for our children and we are saddened that a small number of unrepresentative voices are having such a negative impact on our dedicated staff, as well as our students and their families.”

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