A SCHOOL for children with moderate learning difficulties is to close next summer and its pupils taught in special units attached to high schools.

The director of education at Worcestershire County Council, Julien Kramer, is recommending that the cabinet agrees to the closure of Cliffey House School in August next year.

Present and future pupils at the school in The Rhydd, Hanley Castle, will be relocated to inclusive learning centres at schools in the south Worcestershire area or to other special schools as appropriate to their needs.

The cabinet will meet on Tuesday, March 18, to discuss the consultation responses and make its final decision. In June last year, the cabinet agreed to scrap plans to rebuild the school in the city.

But the decision to teach Cliffey House's children in special centres has received criticism through the consultation process.

Parents have raised concerns about bullying, especially aimed at autistic children and there are worries about the future of the current staff.

The cabinet will hear that a centre for autistic children is being opened at Dyson Perrins CE High School in Malvern in September.

This is to enable autistic children to have access to mainstream education as well as additional support by peripatetic specialist support services.

The report, which has been compiled by Ruth Chiva, head of services to schools, says that the council deems bullying unacceptable and will endeavour to prevent it.

"These youngsters will have a high level of support and supervision," said Ms Chiva in the report.

"One reason for the development of a physical centre of support is so that pupils will have access to a supervised, sheltered environment in the unstructured part of the school day.

"This is particularly important at secondary phase as some pupils might initially find the larger, mainstream environment a little daunting."

The future of the staff has also been discussed and they could be transferred to these new specialist centres. Funding earmarked for the new school will be available to develop provision for these pupils.

The first phase of the closure, if the cabinet agrees with the Educational Directorate, will be a re-assessment of need of the pupils within Cliffey House School.

The cost of the new centres will be met within the £2.5m available.