The fund has allowed children to stay at the school as part of their education and give their families much-needed respite. Parents have also spoken of their anguish at the decision.
The council has made the decision after proposing the cuts last year. It says the £563,000 per year it currently gives to the Special Partnership Trust, which runs the 140-pupil school, could be used more effectively to create additional day education places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities across the whole of Cornwall.
In a letter dated March 11, Guy Chappell, CEO of the trust, told parents: “Cornwall Council has, at long last, made a decision regarding the future of the residential provision at Pencalenick School. I’m afraid it is not a positive one. The council has decided to cease funding the residential provision at Pencalenick School effective from September 1, 2025.
“This decision means that the residential services currently provided will no longer be available after this date. This is incredibly disappointing news – for the children, families and staff who have been part of this valued provision. It is particularly frustrating given that Ofsted recently recognised the staff as ‘absolutely brilliant’.
“Throughout this process, we have raised concerns about how the consultation and decision-making have been handled. We do not see this as a strategic decision but rather a short-term financial one – one that will have a significant impact on SEN provision across Cornwall now and in the future.
“I understand that this news may cause concern, distress and inconvenience for many of our families. Please be assured that we are committed to supporting our children and young people and their families through this transition.”
We have been contacted by angry and concerned parents whose children have been affected by the decision. Martyn Selley, whose son Harry stays at the school, is “disgusted” by the move.
He told us: “As a parent of an SEN child with autism and OCD this facility is a vital part of advancing life skills and independence. It’s a home from home and Harry is excited each week to go.
“The rooms are always set up with their interests at heart, posters of horses, etc. In addition he gets to make new friends. Each stay is different and the activities include, exercise, shopping for independence, games and education. It’s also so vital for us as a family to spend time one to one with our daughter.
“Home life is so difficult due to the needs of Harry and Thursday nights were respite for everyone, including him. Also, we have been in discussions regarding increasing this provision for him, as it was having a great impact on his day to day life.
“We are truly disgusted that a thorough review has not been conducted and that this decision has been made without full consultations of the parents or the general tax-paying public.” The council states that full consultation has been carried with those affected.
Mr Selley added that “£563,000 per year is the cost of this vital service – I know of a local taxi company which is awarded that sum in one council contract to transport two children separately from Truro to Saltash and back on a daily basis. Once again our council gets away with cutting vital services”.
Kris Stephens, of Fowey, has a daughter who also stays at the school. He is due to meet a barrister this week in a bid to fight the decision in court. He said: “They’re cutting services to try and save money but it’s not going to save money because the provision that Pencalenick offers is is so unique – it’s the only one in Cornwall left I think – and it’s so beneficial.
“It offers the children the chance to come away from Pencalenick with life skills and independent living skills. If the children didn’t have that they’d be going through the social care system, which we know is completely broken and not fit for purpose.
“We’ve got families waiting for carers and PAs for disabled children they can’t recruit for. We’ve got massive lists for years for respite for families and this provision offers it all really. To save a bit of money in the short term is going to make things worse in the long term.”
He said his daughter is currently staying at Pencalenick two days a week, but that will end at the end of the summer term. “My child lives over an hour’s drive away from the school, but with her transport run she picks up five other children so she’s in the taxi two hours per journey, so it’s four hours in total she spends travelling. Four hours travelling to and from school in one day is a hell of a lot for a child.”
He said another parent was launching a judicial review against the council over the decision. “This decision is going to go to the Crown Court. What I’m doing is helping individual parents to open their own tribunal cases to take this to court.”
“It’s not nice for the kids or the families,” he added. Mr Stephens said over 20 children are affected by the decision.
Lisa Trerise De-Bargeton, whose son boards at the school one night a week, said during last year’s consultation: “As you can imagine it is devastating news for our children that access this facility. My son has gained so much independence and social skills from boarding here just one night a week. To have that taken away will be devastating.”
A spokesperson for the local authority said: “After careful consideration, and following full consultation with those affected, Cornwall Council has made the decision to redirect funding currently used for residential provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at Pencalenick School in Truro.
“We acknowledge the benefit this service provision has brought to the small number of families who use it and the hard work and dedication of staff. However, the service is discretionary and inaccessible to most children in Cornwall, meaning it does not deliver the best value for taxpayers.
“The council has a statutory duty to provide specialist education places for children and we do not currently have enough. For that reason, the money will be used to create additional day education places for SEND pupils across the whole of Cornwall.
“We are committed to ensuring that services and facilities for SEND children are the best and most wide-reaching that we can provide with our limited funding.”