Parents plea to review decision to close SEN nursery
Parents have banded together and asked Hampshire County Council to review its decision to shut a special educational needs nursery in Eastleigh.
Those who have had their children go through Aviary Nursery told the Echo how important it has been for their development amid news that the building will close at the end of the academic year.
Leanne Blair's eldest son Harry went to the nursery between 2022 and 2023, and was non-verbal when he started.
"When he first went, Harry was a sad little boy, he didn't know how to communicate with us," Leanne said.
"He would take our hands and try to show us what he wanted, he couldn't point or anything like that, he knew what he wanted he wanted but he couldn't get the point across to us."
READ MORE: Eastleigh's only nursery hub for children with special needs planned for closure
Leanne explained that the staff at Aviary Nursery "really helped" with his communication, teaching her the skills she needed to communicate with her son.
"By the time Harry left he was using basic Makaton signs and basic words of communication," she explained.
Her youngest son Zach was in consideration to start at Aviary in September, but Leanne says she now "doesn't know what to do" when it comes to his education.
She said the nursery would "absolutely be a big miss" if it closes.
Jade Davies' son, who has severe autism and is also non-verbal, went to three different mainstream pre-schools before going to the Aviary.
"One was neglectful but the other two just can't meet his needs," Jade said.
"That's understandably not their fault, they can only give so much support to one child."
READ MORE: Hampshire man fined for breaching restraining order via texts
After a panel meeting, he was able to go to the Aviary, but Jade worries what could happen for other parents who are not lucky enough to get a space in a specialised school.
She said: "Without the Aviary, I don't know where he be. I don't understand how the council can say children will go else where because these children can't go elsewhere. It is madness."
In response to concerns, Hampshire County Council confirmed that support would still be given to children in Eastleigh from September via "mobile SEN support service".
A spokesperson said: "With this service, specialist staff travel to see individual children in the setting their parents/ carers have chosen for them.
"This type of support mirrors the way services are provided in other parts of the county, enabling staff to support more children who require specialist help."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
King Charles, Prince Harry at point of 'no turning back' as monarch refuses reconciliation: expert
As King Charles prepares to put on a united front with his family at this year's Trooping the Colour, the monarch and estranged son Prince Harry are nowhere near ending their rift. "There is no turning back," British royals expert Hilary Fordwich claimed to Fox News Digital. "King Charles remains tender towards his son but can't risk communication," she shared. "Prince William now has absolutely no interest in mending fences. Those close to the king say he [shouldn't] make peace with Harry in a way that would burden Prince William's future reign. The animosity is so deep that William has shut the door on Harry. Charles is not willing to go against his heir's wishes." King Charles, Prince Harry's Painful Feud 'Damaging' Monarch's Reign As Gutted Son Remains Furious: Expert "Everything comes down to trust and the lack of it," Fordwich added. Fordwich's comments came shortly after insiders told People magazine that the monarch, who is battling an undisclosed form of cancer, is hesitant to reconnect with his son. Many royal observers believe it's the monarch who should take the first step in igniting a royal reconciliation. Read On The Fox News App "The underlying issue is trust," royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told the outlet. "The king and William don't trust Harry and Meghan with any kind of confidential conversation." Insiders told the outlet that the king, 76, isn't surrounded by palace aides urging him to reconcile with his son. Meanwhile, William is said to have "no interest" in extending an olive branch. "There is not a good angel in [the king's] ear to say, 'Be a good dad and make the first move,'" royal author Valentine Low told the outlet. Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment. WATCH: PRINCE HARRY LOOKING TO RECONCILE WITH KING CHARLES, ROYAL FAMILY Fordwich claimed that Harry has crossed such a deep line in Charles's eyes that it's been difficult for the king to forgive his son. Sources close to Harry previously claimed to People magazine that Charles won't respond to his letters or phone calls. "It's Harry's criticisms of Queen Camilla [in his memoir, 'Spare'], as well as his broader attacks on the family and institution, which have seriously crossed a line for the king and those closest to him," Fordwich claimed. "The king is now so puzzled by Harry's constant revelations. It's now beyond sensitive to discuss, so he avoids all interaction regarding the subject. He is so kind but overwhelmed and has quite enough on his plate to deal with, without all this from his son." Harry's troubled relationship with his family and the U.K. establishment has played out in public for years – in books, interviews, TV programs and the courts. Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, stepped back as senior royals in 2020, citing the unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace. That same year, they moved to California. Since the couple's royal exit, they have aired their grievances and made blistering allegations against the royal family. Harry's explosive 2023 memoir, "Spare," was stuffed with private details and embarrassing revelations. Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter Harry's rift with his family burst into the open once more with a raw interview he gave to the BBC in May after losing a court case over his security. In a long and at times emotional conversation, Harry said he wanted reconciliation. He admitted that his father, who is battling an undisclosed form of cancer, won't speak to him. "Harry's ill-timed recent interview on the BBC highlighted the lack of trust between them publicly," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. "He seemed to believe his father could and should solve the issue of security, which he insists he and his family should have." "The rift, sadly, seems likely to remain toxic as there is no mutual trust between them," said Fitzwilliams. "Hopefully, it will not worsen as the Sussexes could give further interviews or possibly write more about the feud, something that is invariably remunerative for them." Low told People magazine that despite Harry's call for peace on the BBC, his comments were seen as another blow to the royals. During the interview, Harry, who has met his father only once, briefly, since his diagnosis early last year, said, "I don't know how much longer my father has." "It wasn't meant to be an attack, but it would be seen as one," said Low. "It makes Charles reaching out even harder." Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital that the royals take great pride in protecting their public image. They've maintained the late Queen Elizabeth II's motto of keep calm and carry on. Like What You're Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News "The royals play a positive role to the cameras," he explained. "[But] behind the scenes, they allegedly are constantly bickering with each other… King Charles has a past reputation for not making advances on difficult decisions." A source recently claimed to Us Weekly that William was "absolutely appalled" by Harry's comments to the BBC about their father's health. The insider claimed that the 42-year-old feels like Harry stooped "so low." Royal experts previously told Fox News Digital that William is fiercely protective of Charles. The source also told the outlet that it's unlikely that the feuding brothers will reunite while their father is still alive. "The funeral of Charles would be the first time that courtiers would imagine [them reuniting]," said the insider. "I can't imagine William would invite Harry to his coronation." Despite infrequent updates from the palace about his health, Charles has returned to a full slate of public duties. During his sit-down with the BBC, Harry held out little hope of another meeting with his father. "The only time I come back to the U.K. is, sadly, for funerals or court cases," he said. Fitzwilliams said that Charles must address his ongoing rift with Harry, 40, as it remains a dark cloud over his reign. "We are now less than a fortnight away from Trooping the Colour, which celebrates the monarch's birthday," he said. "King Charles can surely congratulate himself on negotiating a year where he has worked so hard and achieved a great deal despite battling cancer." "The one area that remains problematic is the rift with the Sussexes. He has only seen Prince Harry once after his diagnosis and then fleetingly." Back in 2024, Christopher Andersen, author of "The King," claimed to Fox News Digital that the king is still unable to forgive his son for casting Camilla as the villain in "Spare." "I think people have to realize that the one thing that Charles finds unforgivable is criticism of Camilla," said Andersen at the time. "There's no criticism of Camilla," Andersen claimed. "And unfortunately for Harry… Harry said some pretty devastating things about her. He made it clear that he felt she was… the villain in the piece. I think that still bothers the king, and I don't know that it will be easy for him to [forgive]. I don't think they'll ever forgive Harry for that." WATCH: PRINCE HARRY'S JABS AT QUEEN CAMILLA UNFORGIVABLE FOR KING CHARLES: EXPERT "[He's] on his own," Andersen added, referring to the Duke of Sussex. In televised interviews to promote the book, Harry accused his stepmother, 77, of leaking private conversations to the media to burnish her own reputation. He accused members of the royal family of getting "into bed with the devil" to gain favorable tabloid coverage, singling out Camilla's efforts to rehabilitate her image with the public after her longtime affair with his father. "That made her dangerous because of the connections that she was forging within the British press," Harry told CBS ahead of his book launch. "There was open willingness on both sides to trade information. And with a family built on hierarchy, and with her on the way to being queen consort, there was going to be people or bodies left in the street." The Duke and Duchess of Sussex reside in the wealthy coastal city of Montecito with their two young article source: King Charles, Prince Harry at point of 'no turning back' as monarch refuses reconciliation: expert
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Prince Harry Apparently Wants Archie and Lilibet to Have the Option of Becoming Working Royals
Prince Harry apparently wants to leave the door open for his kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to possibly be working royals someday, should they choose to do so. A new report explores Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to use Archie and Lilibet's prince and princess titles and HRH statuses. It also explains that their U.K. passports may have been delayed amid a reluctance to put their HRH titles and Sussex surname on years after stepping back as working members of the royal family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle still retain their HRH titles (shorthand for His or Her Royal Highness), and, while they don't use them publicly, have used them privately, as came out earlier this year. Harry and Meghan's kids, 6-year-old Prince Archie and 4-year-old Princess Lilibet, also have HRH titles, and, according to Town & Country, the Duke of Sussex wants to leave the option open for his kids to become working royals themselves someday, should they choose to do so. A new report in The Guardian details Harry's efforts to get U.K. passports for Archie and Lilibet, with the surname Sussex (as Meghan has expressed the desire to use for herself, as well) and the HRH titles as well. Archie's passport, for example, was originally issued as Archie Mountbatten-Windsor (the surname the larger royal family uses) upon his birth in 2019, but after Archie's grandfather King Charles took the throne in 2022, he and Lilibet became entitled to use prince and princess titles. Harry and Meghan first expressed their intent to use said titles in March 2023, six months after Charles became King, on the occasion of Lilibet's christening. 'The children's titles have been a birthright since their grandfather became monarch,' a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said at the time. There was a delay in issuing U.K. passports for Archie and Lilibet and 'There was clear reluctance to issue passports for the kids,' a source 'close to the Sussexes' told The Guardian, with the insider adding that 'the King hadn't wanted Archie and Lili to carry the titles, most of all the HRH, and the British passports, once created, would be the first and perhaps the only legal proof of their names.' The Guardian reported that Harry 'wants to keep the HRH titles for his children so that when they grow older they can decide for themselves whether they want to become working royals or stay out of public life.' As far back as the volatile Sandringham Summit in early 2020, Buckingham Palace said that 'The Sussexes will not use their HRH titles as they are no longer working members of the royal family.' That said, at least Meghan still uses her HRH title in a private capacity. The Guardian also reported that Harry and Meghan considered changing their surname to Spencer before landing on Sussex, which the outlet said stemmed from 'sheer exasperation' on Harry's part. After speaking about the matter with his uncle Earl Charles Spencer—Princess Diana's younger brother—though he was 'enthusiastic and supportive of the name change,' he advised against doing so because of legal reasons, and Harry and Meghan chose Sussex instead, reflective of their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles given to them by Queen Elizabeth on the occasion of their 2018 wedding. 'Harry was at a point where British passports for his children with their updated Sussex surnames were being blocked with a string of excuses over the course of five months,' a source speaking to The Guardian said. Per People, the passports for Archie and Lilibet eventually arrived nearly six months after the initial application; for context, standard processing time is typically around three weeks. The passports arrived 'shortly after the Sussexes' lawyers wrote to the U.K. Home Office, threatening to file a data subject access request—a legal move that could have revealed internal discussions or decisions behind the delay,' People reported. Read the original article on InStyle
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
On This Day, June 6: YMCA founded in London
On this date in history: In 1844, the Young Men's Christian Association -- YMCA -- was founded in London. In 1872, feminist Susan B. Anthony was fined for voting in an election in Rochester, N.Y. She refused to pay the fine and a judge allowed her to go free. In 1933, the first drive-in movie theater opened -- in Camden, N.J. In 1944, hundreds of thousands of Allied troops began crossing the English Channel in the D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. It was the largest invasion in history. In 1966, James Meredith, who in 1962 became the first Black American to attend the University of Mississippi, was shot by a sniper during a civil rights "March Against Fear" walk in the South. Meredith was hospitalized and recovered from his wounds, later rejoining the long march, which he had originated. In 1968, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S. attorney general, died the day after he was struck by an assassin's bullets in California. He was 42. In 1972, a coal mine explosion in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), trapped 464 miners underground. More than 425 people died. In 1981, a train conductor braked too hard to avoid hitting a cow, causing several cars in his train to slip off the tracks in rainy weather. The cars slid off a bridge into a swollen river, drowning an estimated 600 people in India. In 1982, thousands of Israeli forces pushed deep into Lebanon in an effort to defeat Palestinian guerrillas sheltering in the southern border region and near the capital of Beirut. Syria said its forces joined the fighting in a major escalation of the conflict. In 1993, the Guatemalan legislature elected Ramiro de Leon Carpio as president to replace ousted leader Jorge Serrano. In 2001, a man drove his pickup truck into a Muslim family of Pakistani heritage, killing four and injuring one in London, Ontario, Canada. The driver was charged with terroristic murder and accused of targeting the family because of their religion. In 2023, Prince Harry became the first member of the British royal family to give testimony during a court proceeding since 1891. He sued Mirror Group Newspapers, accusing them of illegally hacking. In February 2024, Prince Harry won a "substantial" settlement in the case.
