Nov 2, 2020, HullLive: Despair for mum told son who can't talk and still wears nappies 'not special needs enough' for school https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/education/son-without-school-place-hull-4655320 (NE England) Heartbroken mum of Blake Laugley, 5, who is non-verbal and has mental age of a toddler, says she feels he has been rejected A mum has spoken of her frustration after her son was deemed not "special needs enough" for a special school and "too special needs" for a mainstream school - leaving him without a place. Maria Coward, of west Hull is facing the prospect of homeschooling her five-year-old son after she says Hull City Council have "failed" to find a school place for him. Her son Blake - who has the mental age of an 18 to 24 month old is still in nappies, cannot talk, has complex special needs and requires two carers at school, yet he was turned down by a Hull special school because he "operates at levels above the current cohort of pupils attending." However, several mainstream schools have rejected him too, because they do not have the correct SEN provision for his needs. "My question is, if he isn't special needs enough for a special school, and mainstream say he is too special needs for them, then where does Blake go?" Said Ms Coward…. "This (an email in October which confirmed there was still no place for Blake) is the first I have heard from them since August. "The schools have been sent the ECHP and they can't look after him. It's none of these schools' fault. "It's really quite heartbreaking, I felt like my son was rejected, it’s really hard. I've been really upset but now I'm angry. "What do I do? I can’t find a school. I'm getting nowhere. What is is they are doing? They have failed my child." Ms Coward is still waiting for Blake's autism assessment, despite being on the waiting list for 18 months, but Blake has a complex Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in place…. What Hull City Council says A spokesperson for Hull City Council said: “We are currently discussing the options for Blake with his parents so that we can achieve an outcome which best suits his needs.”
