A COUNCILLOR has hailed Darlington's £37.3m Education Village as one of the best facilities in the county for special needs children.

It comes in response to questions raised by Conservative councillors about teaching special needs children in a mainstream school, where it was feared they may not get the appropriate education.

Councillor Ian Galletley quizzed children's services portfolio holder Chris McEwan on the situation in Darlington after an independent report found that, in some cases, special needs children were being failed by the system.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) report, carried out by Cambridge University, looked at the inclusion of children with special needs in mainstream schools.

Before the full meeting of Darlington Borough Council, Coun Gallatley tabled questions on the facility - which combines special school Beaumont Hill Technology College with Haughton School and Springfield Primary.

Coun Gallatley's written question read: "Many teachers and parents now feel that the process has gone too far and is no longer serving the interests of either children with special needs or their mainstream counterparts as well as it might.

"Most worryingly of all, John McBeath, one of the authors, in agreement with senior officers of the NUT, described some inclusion as a form of abuse for children placed in totally inappropriate schools where they inevitably failed.

"At a recent conference for special educators, a very senior officer of the DfES announced that funding would be made available for the construction of 100 new special schools across the country."

Councillor McEwan said: "By placing our only special school at the centre of the new Education Village, we have secured the best facilities for the most needy pupils and secured the very best for their future."

He said Beaumont Hill had scored well in national assessments.

"My belief is we'll build on improvements," he said. "I believe that this performance currently should reinforce views, held not just by the councillors in this chamber but by parents and children, that we have some of the best facilities in the country - something that we are proud to champion."