Charity school to cater for bullied children
A national charity is planning to set up a school for bullied children in Preston.
The Red Balloon organisation has already been pledged 100,000 towards the cost of setting up the centre and has earmarked a base in the city.
The centre will cater for up to 15 youngsters who have been bullied so badly they can no longer attend mainstream school.
It will be modelled on identical centres in Cambridge, Norwich and Harrow.
Local organiser Carol Hargreaves who will run the centre explains: "We will offer full time education alongside therapy to help these children recover and return to school."
The charity's chief executive and founder Carrie Herbert said Preston had not been chosen because it had a worse problem with bullying than other areas.
She added: "There's no more bullying in Preston than anywhere else. There is generally a conspiracy of silence among parents, schools and local authorities."
The education authority will be expected to direct children and pay for them to attend the centre, which is expected to be up and running early in the new school year.
However Lancashire County Council says schools have a good track record of dealing with bullying and already caters well for children not in school.
Neil Scanlan, the county's head of service for learners out of school, said: "We have a range of services to support pupils who are bullied, including educational psychologists, support workers from the inclusion service, and the Lancashire Education Medical Service (LEMS).
He added: "LEMS supports pupils who cannot attend school for a range of reasons, both physical and psychological, and has an excellent track record in helping pupils overcome their difficulties and make a smooth transition back to mainstream schooling when are ready for it."
The service had an excellent Ofsted inspection report earlier this year which found that staff 'went the extra mile' to help children, both academically and emotionally.
Mr Scanlan added: "We also have a comprehensive Anti-Bullying Strategy to help schools prevent bullying, respond immediately to incidents and provide longer-term support."
Carol has organised a fund raising event to promote the centre at the Barn at Scorton on July 5 at 7.30pm with a hog roast and live music.
Tickets are 15 from Garstang's Car Care, the Barn or by email from carol@preston.redballoonlearner.org.uk
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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