July 27, 2017, TES (London): Bids open to create 19 new free schools for children with SEND
https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/bids-open-create-19-new-free-schools-children-send
The government has opened bids for 19 new free schools for children with special educational needs or a disability.
The new schools will be created to meet specific needs in 19 local authorities, and the specifications have been developed by the local authorities, with the Department for Education. …
The DfE said the schools would create 1,600 new special free-school places.
The specifications published today include a 150-place school in Croydon for children aged 2 to 19 with autism spectrum disorder, and a 200-place school in Bedford….
The new schools are part of the wave of 131 new free schools announced in April 2017.
Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.