Council denies SEN child's secondary school place

A Kent family say they've been left "waiting and worrying" after their autistic child's place at a Special Educational Needs (SEN) school was declined.

Eleven-year-old Annalise, from Herne Bay, spent her primary school years in a specialist SEN unit so when her mother Kasey applied to a SEN secondary school, she felt sure she'd be offered a place.

Kasey said: "It's every parent's worst nightmare, not getting the right support for your child."

A Kent County Council spokesperson said: "We will always work with families who cannot be offered a preferred school to find an amicable solution within the SEN framework."

Kasey added: "Obviously I'm trying to reassure her and make her anxiety go away but I can't do that as a parent right now so it's just really, really stressful."

The council had decided that Annalise should attend her local mainstream school, Herne Bay High School.

But the family said the headteacher wrote to them stating they wouldn't be able to meet Annalise's needs and that she required "more than a mainstream school could offer".

This has left Annalise with nowhere to go with the school term fast approaching.

Annalise said: "It's quite sad. All my friends are getting all their bags and stationery and stuff. And it's just really worrying that I won't get a school and I just have to wait longer and longer."

A council spokesperson said: "We hold admission meetings with the headteachers of special schools.

"If a special school is not felt to be appropriate for the child’s needs, then we will seek to find an alternative appropriate school place for that child."

The family has been appealing the council's decision since February. Now they say it's "just a waiting game" to see when and where Annalise can go to secondary school.

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