EVEN in the face of closure, Fulford Cross School continues to work hard and prove that it truly is special.

The school, which caters for children from eight to 16 who have moderate learning difficulties, has been granted beacon status. This educational hallmark recognises excellence and requires schools to share their expertise with neighbouring schools.

For any school to win this accolade is an achievement, but doubly so for a school which knows that it is going to have to shut. Fulford Cross is due to close in 2004 as part of a reorganisation of special education in York, which is being reshaped to fit in with Government plans for more children to be educated in mainstream schools. The school has also seen a decline in the number of pupils attending.

While some parents remain unhappy about closure, the end of Fulford Cross is edging nearer. More detailed plans of what will happen to this and other special schools in the city are due to come before City of York Council's executive within the next month, following a year-long consultancy.

But how poignant it is that a school marked down as having no future should once again prove its shining excellence. Beacon status is not given lightly, so Fulford Cross School can justly feel proud of the good work it continues to do. This is a good school which does good work for its particular pupils.

As the council considers what to do next, we can only hope there is no suggestion that the closure of special schools is a way to save money. Clearly, money will have to be invested in preparing mainstream schools to embrace pupils from special schools.

Fulford Cross School has provided a benchmark for special education. As headteacher Joan Lock has said before: "What the city has to provide has got to be as good or better than that benchmark."

That remains as true today, on a day of jubilation tinged with a little sadness.

Updated: 11:00 Thursday, June 21, 2001