Parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have hit out at a primary school after its specialist unit was closed.

Blackthorns Community Primary Academy, near Haywards Heath and managed by the University of Brighton Academies Trust, was home to The Hive, a student support centre (SSC) for children with SEND.

However, the unit was closed in April - at very short notice according to parents.

One nine-year-old disabled boy, who relied heavily on The Hive unit to remain in school, was forced to leave Blackthorns Academy. The closure left him without suitable provision.

The father of the boy, who wishes for himself and his son to remain anonymous, said: “They have closed the only thing my disabled son can access.”

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Prior to the closure of The Hive unit, where the father says his son “thrived”, the pupil’s Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) pointed towards the boy’s achievements and improvements there.

It described the pupil as “happy, well-liked and popular” and “responding well to the structure and routine of The Hive”.

However, his EHCP for this year stated: “The Hive was closed at short notice due to increased staffing pressures and the pupil did not attend school for two weeks as a result.

“He has struggled to reintegrate into the school. Without the consistent structure of the Hive and small group learning he has often become dysregulated quite quickly, on occasion hitting others or destroying his or others work.

“Despite huge efforts by all staff at Blackthorns and especially by himself, the pupil is not thriving at Blackthorns and now with the closure of our SSC the setting is unable to meet his needs.”

The father is now looking to take his son’s case to an SEND tribunal as although he is due to begin Year 5 in September, he is without a school placement.

Another parent, who also wished to remain anonymous, said it was a major "concern for the community".

A spokesman for West Sussex County Council said: “Following lengthy discussions with Blackthorns Primary Academy, we made the decision to close the Specialist Support Centre at the academy in 2022 and wrote to the school in September 2022 to advise them that funding would be withdrawn over two years, coming to an end in August this year.

“The centre had been running with very low numbers of pupils for some time and had been running on reduced hours.

“The last remaining pupils placed in the Specialist Support Centre by West Sussex County Council are now in Year 6 and will naturally leave the school in July 2024.

“We have supported these pupils to move to suitable provision for their secondary education.”

A spokesman for University of Brighton Academies Trust said: “The decision to close The Hive, the Special Support Centre at Blackthorns Community Primary Academy, was made by West Sussex County Council. Therefore, we are unable to comment further on this decision.

“The University of Brighton Academies Trust is committed to supporting children at Blackthorns with special educational needs and disabilities and their families. Discussions with parents and carers are ongoing.

“The number of teaching assistant posts at the academy has not reduced. Our priority remains ensuring a supportive and inclusive educational environment, and we are actively collaborating with families to address their child’s individual needs.”