(UK) Essex: Mom forced to remove autistic son from school; "crisis at Essex Cty Council's SEND department"
- The end of childhood
- Nov 9
- 2 min read
Nov 8, 2025, Essex Live: Essex boy with autism being 'denied education' after mum forced to take him out of school
E. England
An Essex mum says she is 'grieving a boy who is alive' because he's missing out on education and friends after she was forced to take him out of school
A six-year-old autistic boy from Essex is being “denied an education he’s entitled to” as no suitable school place has been found for him by the council, according to his mum. Kerry Green, 47, from Thundersley, insists not enough is being done to provide her son, Lucas, with an education, leaving him “isolated” at home.
Lucus also lives with a kidney condition, has undergone operations and has been under the care of Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. He was given a place in a mainstream school after no suitable placement was found in a special needs school for him. However, due to safety concerns, Ms Green took her child out of the school.
Ms Green's claims come amidst a crisis at Essex County Council's SEND department, which continues to fail to meet the targets set for completing assessments for children’s learning difficulties in a timely manner.
She said: “I’m missing out, I’m grieving a boy who is alive. I can’t even begin to tell you what that feels like. He doesn’t have sleepovers or friends. I don't have contact with other mums. He’s losing out on friendships, a basic human need - which is connections. . . .
Blasting the county council, she added that the decisions of the authority have "real, human consequences." She feels the council is not doing its duy and is failing her and her son. She said her son should be learning, growing and being supported, but instead he’s at home.
A spokesman for Essex County Council said: “We are sorry to hear about Ms Green’s experience. While we are unable to comment on individual cases, we take any concerns raised to us by families seriously in line with our complaints procedure. We work closely with school settings to ensure placements suit the needs of young people. As capacity is finite, we cannot always secure placements straight away.
"If specialist provision isn’t available, we ensure every child can access mainstream education in the meantime. We are committed to working continuously with families so suitable education can be found for children’s needs.”
Comments