CAMPAIGNERS fighting to keep open Dean Hall School for children with special needs say a letter sent to all petitioners make proposed changes "look wonderful".

"Anyone who has not been following the situation at Dean Hall would say the proposals are wonderful – but they are misleading," said Gill Dovey, who is battling with friend Wendy Wilding to keep the school open.

The letter from county council Education portfolio holder Charmain Shepherd and leader Peter Clarke was this week sent to all signatories to a petition calling for the school to be kept open.

It states: "We decided to write to you personally in order to clarify some important points regarding the changes being proposed.

"The most important point is that the proposals do allow for a special school in the Forest to educate children whose needs cannot be met in mainstream schools.

"Indeed, the proposals commit the authority to the development of a new special school with the expenditure of approximately £2million to develop much better facilities than currently exist at Oakdene of Dean Hall schools.

"In addition, it is proposed that we provide a centre based in Cinderford that that would be used as an extended base for the life skills part of the curriculum.

"Finally, and importantly, it is proposed that we make available very substantial extra funding to enable more children to be able to educated in mainstream than can currently be the case.

"It is proposed that schools' budgets for SEN would be increased by approximately £526,000 a year, which is an increase of nearly 50 per cent for primary schools and well over double for secondary schools.

"We are sure that schools will use this money wisely to raise standards for children with special educational needs."

Mrs Dovey says the letter neglects to say the £2million has not yet been granted by the government, while the £526,000 will be spread very thinly through schools.

"One primary with 80 pupils will get just £625 for special needs provision, which is derisory," she said.

Almost 95 percent of primary schools and 100 per cent of secondary schools were behind them in the fight to save Dean Hall and Oakdene.

"The message is the fight will go on to the bitter end, whatever the outcome."