A school will shut at the end of this week, making 18 staff redundant.

Abbotsford Community Special School in Cuckfield Road, Burgess Hill, went into special measures two years ago and in September West Sussex County Council took the decision to close it.

After receiving no objections to the move, the county council agreed to officially shut the school at the end of December.

The school has had a turbulent history in recent years with Ofsted inspections highlighting weaknesses in leadership and management, the quality of teaching, curriculum and standards. It caters for up to 48 boys aged from eight to 16 who have special educational needs.

Plans for improvements were slow to get off the ground because of high staff turnover and lack of adequate management, Ofsted complained.

Despite improvements and pleas from teachers to give the school more time, the council moved all 25 pupils for the start of the academic year.

They were placed at other schools, including independent schools for pupils with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, and mainstream schools. Staff were offered alternative jobs but there is no guarantee they will be long-term jobs.

Those facing redundancies include three caterers, three special support assistants, two caretakers and five teachers.

A spokeswoman for the council said: "Staff have been offered support to seek alternative employment in other schools, or with the county council. We do not know yet whether any staff have accepted posts elsewhere.

"All the staff have been in alternative placements since September, so we hope that they may be offered posts more permanently."

The future of the site remains unclear.

It is being used in the short-term to teach pupils who have been permanently excluded and to look after children not on a school roll.

The spokeswoman said: "In the immediate future the site will be used to extend out of school, pupil referral unit provision.

"The longer term use of the site is still being considered."

Tina Ashley, regional head of local government union Unison, said: "We are fed up that the skills our members have are not being used because other schools are taking on new people without those skills."