Mum's fears after Izaac, 11, is left with no school place

Katie Stillwell, 43, from White Hart Lane, Portchester, was told the news two weeks ago, leaving her severely-disabled son without a school for September.

Izaac, 11, suffers from brain damage, a severe learning disability and has autistic traits and hyper mobility and his mother is concerned that mainstream education will not support these difficulties.

Mrs Stillwell said: ‘Baycroft School has been Izaac’s nominated special needs school since Year 4.

‘But last week I received a phone call out of the blue from the education authority telling me that Izaac has not been given a place at Baycroft.

‘I just burst into tears in the middle of a shop when I found out.

‘Izaac won’t be able to keep up with the classes in mainstream education, let alone be able to get himself on a bus in the morning.’

Izaac’s current school, Wicor Priory, in Portchester, is working to try to get Izaac into another school.

However, after trying to launch an official appeal against the decision, Katie found out that she was facing yet another obstacle.

‘Last year Izaac’s statement was changed from an educational statement of special needs to an educational health care plan.

‘Because they haven’t completed his transition to an EHCP I have been told that I cannot submit an appeal.’

The education authority has now passed Izaac’s details on to a mainstream school in the area, despite Mrs Stillwell’s numerous warnings that Izaac will not cope in normal education, as well as backing from his current school.

‘It would be like chucking him into the deep end of a pool when he can’t swim,’ she said.

‘Kids begin to pick out when someone is different at this age and I know he would very quickly become a target for bullies.’

Suella Fernandes, MP for Fareham, has written a letter to the education authority on Izaac’s behalf.

We asked Hampshire County Council to comment on Izaac’s case, but a spokesperson was not available.