Who am I

I am a normal working single Mum to a 14 year old boy who has struggled tremendously in main stream education. He is on the autistic spectrum, has a diagnosis of ADD, anxiety and EBSA (emotional based school avoidance).

As time has gone on in his schooling, particularly from year 3 onwards, his struggles have snowballed. When he moved into secondary education he really tried so hard but began to feel anxious and ill more and more causing him to become a school refuser.

The Council offered no alternative provision and although the school offered access to the learning support unit and a reduced timetable this was not enough to overcome his extreme anxiety about attending the school in the first place.

My case

I am being prosecuted for my son’s non-attendance which carries with it the threat of a criminal record and fine when what we really need is for the Council to provide the support that is necessary in order to meet my son’s educational needs.

I am now raising money to help me to challenge the prosecution through a judicial review.

Why is this important?

As I have been fighting this injustice, it has become apparent that there are many other families facing the same problems and unfair prosecution over school attendance. This needs highlighting, as parents of SEND children with very real issues, life is hard enough without local authorities taking unjust action and making life so much harder.

This is has been hanging over us for months, it is quite unbearable. We have a constant feeling of distress which impacts the whole family not least my poor son in the middle of it all. He feels an awful sense of guilt, which he shouldn’t and the situation triggers further unnecessary anxiety and has an overall derogatory impact on him heightening his negative emotions towards school. It is all so very frustrating.

We thank you for taking the time to read this and for your much needed and greatly appreciated help.... if you have been kind enough to pledge and/ or help spread awareness by sharing our story we thank you from the bottom of our hearts xxx