Aug 17, 2020, StokeonTrent Live: Stoke-on-Trent boy, 12, has not been to school for 15 months - now his mum wants answers https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/mum-brain-tumour-survivor-demands-4360488 Central England The family of an autistic boy who’s had no formal education since having a brain tumour removed 15 months ago say he’s been failed by the system. Twelve-year-old Christian Smith has been desperately searching for a new school after his previous placement at Portland School, in Blythe Bridge, broke down. But despite his parents Antonia and Nigel Buckingham submitting reams of paperwork to Stoke-on-Trent City Council - and suggesting two alternative special schools - he’s still stuck at home. Now the family, from Weston Heights, are demanding to know why he has missed so much of his education. … Christian, who also has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Tourette’s syndrome, was suspended from Portland after an incident where he threw a chair at a teacher. The family say the school told them it could no longer meet his needs…. “We’ve since found out that some of the aggressive behaviour was due to the tumour. He also had slurred speech and headaches. Since it’s been removed, it’s solved some of the problems,” added Antonia…. His mum said: “We were promised by the council that, as soon as he recovered, he would be placed at an appropriate school. But all they kept saying was ‘it’s going to the panel’.”…
