TEACHERS at a Basingstoke school facing the threat of closure have hit back at the level of support it has received from the county education authority.

A consultation was recently opened by Hampshire education chief Cllr Don Allen on whether to close Hawthorns School, which caters for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, in August 2004, and reopen it in September 2005 with a new board of governors and teaching staff.

The Gazette featured parts of the report by the county education officer to Cllr Allen, which recommended a consultation on closure.

The report stated the school, in Pack Lane, Kempshott, had made "insufficient progress" since being put in special measures by education watchdog Ofsted in 2001, despite the "intensive support provided".

However, senior teacher Colin Tillett has now sent a letter to The Gazette, on behalf of the teaching and support staff at Hawthorns, which disagrees with this assertion.

He writes: "In your article, you report that the school is failing 'despite the high level of support given to us by the LEA in the past'. I am afraid we take issue with that statement.

"Very little help has been given to the school where it really matters, and where such actions could have positive outcomes. We mean the 'chalk-face', where staff are in day-to-day contact with very difficult young people."

Mr Tillett adds: "We take great offence at the implication that 'despite all the help from the LEA', the poor performance of the staff at the school is the reason for the current problems and impending closure which the school faces. This is not factual. This is not fair."

Mr Tillett writes that the school has "many problems", citing that it had three headteachers in one year, and had lacked a deputy head for some time. One was recently appointed.

He notes the situation is compounded by the fact it is "very difficult to recruit suitable teaching staff and supply cover teachers to this challenging and specialised type of educational provision".

Mr Tillett says that although there were many problems with educational provision throughout the country in the field of EBD (emotional and behavioural difficulties), there were also "very good things going on" at Hawthorns.

He says: "Throughout the series of recent inspections at Hawthorns, examples of good and very good teaching and learning support have been observed. For instance, one lesson was described as "one of the best lessons observed in any EBD school".

Mr Tillett says staff at the Hawthorns disagreed with the consultation process because it might result in the loss of their jobs.

The consultation runs until June, after which Cllr Allen will make a decision on whether or not to close the school.

Do you have a view on this issue? Write to The Letters Editor, Gazette Newspapers, Gazette House, Pelton Road, Basingstoke, RG21 6YD or e-mail editor@basingstokegazette.co.uk