A child with special educational needs may be forced to undertake a 70-mile round trip to school because his current school says it can no longer meet his needs.
Henry Ash, who suffers from epilepsy, cerebral palsy, autism and a condition which means his brain swells, needs extra help in the classroom, a local paper reported, The seven-year-old, from Surbiton, in South-West London, has been taught in isolation for a mere one hour a day for the past nine months and Henry's father Spencer says the family have "had enough".
“He doesn’t mix with any of the other children, just goes in for the hour, it’s no good for him.”
Henry was previously taught with his classmates until the school claimed it could no longer meet his needs, leaving Kingston Council to find a replacement. But the school the council suggested was 35 miles away, along the M25, in Sussex.
The suggestion was deemed as "madness" by the Ash family, who have submitted their preference for a school in neighbouring Surrey.
A Kingston council spokesman said: "We appreciated this is a difficult situation for the family, but are committed to working with them to get the best possible outcome for Henry."
In order for a student with special education needs to be able to attend a school, they first need their local council to sign a provision of place statement.
The Department of Education states: "Parents whose children have an education, health and care plan have the right to seek a place at any state-funded school, whether that is a special or mainstream school, a maintained school, academy or Free School."