A mother is battling with the Isle of Wight 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 is 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.
8-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.
When he was attending mainstream school, at Oakfield Primary, violent meltdowns meant in one term, Caiden was excluded 10 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,
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%, 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% resulting in no plan.
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.
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.”
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.
in other words, she wants the taxpayer to fork out more for her child and for more people to bring him up and not just her – he is her kid, not societies, – why should we be expected to pay out more in tax just to fund a violent kid who won’t go to school or behave himself.
about time the council cracked down on the frittering away of our money on the endless whiny demands of those wanting social care instead of doing their own parenting.
Dont talk about what you clearly do not understand you ignorant shallow minded individual.
Its nothing to do with the childs behaviour, the child has Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities end of, and the child should be supported to gain access to an education that is suited to him and if a specialist establishment is the way forward then that child should be given access to it.
Every child is entitled to an education and unfortunately not all children are suited to mainstream, including my child.
Keep your ignorant opinions to yourself.
and i support the councils decision
iowter – your repsonse is invalid as you have chosen to use insults when faced with a viewpoint you do not agree with
the taxpayer is entitled to not have to pay for, or subsidise other peoples kids – we would be paying far more tax if those making these decisions weren’t as diligent as they are.
And you are missing the point completely every child is entitled to an education therefore if a child isnt able to learn in a mainstream school then a specialist establishment is needed and an EHCP is drawn up to allow a child to receive the education and care that is needed, people like you think you know what your talking about and you clearly do not.
Do not comment on what you do not understand, if you have never been through the heartbrake of knowing your child cannot attend a mainstream setting and needs additional help via a EHCP and the fight day in and day out to get the help your child so desperately needs then do not comment.
no, you are missing the point completely – i get my salary advice slip each month and in it i see just how much is taken from me, against my will in the form of taxation, as well as all the other taxes I pay such as VAT council tax, etc, just to see it handed out to every sob story and whiner going, through the benefit system. I work to provide a better standard of life for me, not subsidise everyone else.
it is the parents job to fund their kids childhood and any educational needs beyond that offered to everyone else, not outsource the cost to the rest of us, who did not choose to have those kids and are not responsible for them.
I really hope you do not have to go through anything like this because that is the only way people will understand.