An Isle of Wight mother is battling with the council to get her son an education which will see him flourish.
In a fight to get an education, health and care plan (EHCP) for her son, Caiden, Freya Sadler has said she is stuck in a situation where the council are refusing to assess him, with the authority passing the responsibility onto others.
The Isle of Wight Council said, however, EHCPs are issued only in exceptional circumstances.
Complex needs
Eight-year-old Caiden has learning disabilities, including ADHD and autism, which means he finds going to school traumatic, upsetting and overwhelming; so much so that he has been refusing to go and is taught at home by his mum using materials provided by Medina House.
With such complex needs, which also includes hypermobility and communication issues, Caiden’s progression through education since Reception has been stunted, falling nearly five years behind classmates.
Excluded ten times
When he was attending mainstream school, at Oakfield Primary, violent meltdowns meant in one term, Caiden was excluded ten times.
Freya says the council is refusing an EHCP assessment which could provide more support for Caiden, through additional funding for more learning provisions, helpers or even a place at a special needs school.
This is despite the fact he has a doctor’s note saying he may not be suited for mainstream education.
12th highest in country to refuse EHCP assessments
Latest figures from the Department for Education show in 2020, the Isle of Wight Council was the 12th highest local authority in the country to refuse an EHCP assessment, refusing to conduct 105, or 37.2 per cent, of assessments.
The Isle of Wight Council was also ranked as the fifth-highest authority to not issue an EHCP after assessment — with 17.8 per cent resulting in no plan.
Inadequate advice
Freya said she started to fight for Caiden because it was obviously not okay that he was violent towards other children, but if he was at a specialist school, plans would be put in place to help deal with it properly and his education could be continued.
She said the advice she is getting is suitable for a fully competent child, but not one with complex learning disabilities and the SEND department at Oakfield tells her to do things doctors have said not to.
Fighting for place at the right school
Freya said,
“Lots of mainstream schools can meet the needs of SEND children, but not Caiden’s.
“All I’m trying to do is get Caiden a place at a school that is good for him, where I am confident they can teach him, help him and learn in his own way.”
IWC: Schools continually assess every child’s needs
An Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said they could not comment on individual cases, but it was important to recognise schools are able to meet the needs of most children with special educational needs without the need of an EHCP.
They said,
“Schools continually assess every child’s needs so they can ensure they are met through high-quality teaching and specific interventions.”
Where there is disagreement on the need for an EHCP, the spokesperson said mediation was offered to ensure a resolution is found.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is part of. Read here to find about more about how that scheme works on the Island. Some alterations and additions may have been made by News OnTheWight. Ed
Image: Jesper Sehested under CC BY 2.0
