Central Bedfordshire SEND: School place gives son 'chance he needs'

A mother said the offer of a place in full-time education for the first time in a year would give her son the "life chance he needs and deserves".

Thomas, 13, from Leighton Buzzard, has complex needs, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

His parents had planned to take Central Bedfordshire Council to a tribunal over his education.

But his mother Joanna said the offer meant this was no longer required.

Thomas has not been in full-time education since October 2019, for reasons including medication issues and exclusions.

His parents took out bank loans of up to £15,000 in their "fight" to get "adequate provision".

Joanna said that when she first heard the news of a place at specialist school Potterspury Lodge School in Northamptonshire from her solicitor, she was "in shock".

"Thomas has been asking when he was going to back to school every day," she said.

"He's extremely excited. [These are] his words not mine: it's the 'start of the new me, my new life, my chance'."

Potterspury Lodge principal, Jenny Nimmo, said her school was "very similar to a mainstream school" but had a "fantastic clinical team".

Joanna said "hundreds" of other families were still struggling to get education for their children.

"My message to them would be to keep fighting - I know how hard it is," she said.

"If I had to say anything to Central Bedfordshire Council it would be to listen to the parents because no child goes to school and says 'I want to fail or want to be an absolute naughty child.'"

A council spokesman said: "We are pleased that Thomas will be starting his new school in the near future, and wish him every success.

"There are a small number of parents who have raised concerns about their child's education setting, and we are actively working with them to find appropriate solutions.

"We are working extremely hard to improve the SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) service and we are working with parents to help us shape these improvements.

"We have already invested in more specialist staff and this is starting to make a difference. Where families find themselves in very complex situations, we've introduced weekly phone calls with parents to ensure we are listening to them and supporting the needs of their children."

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