(UK) Notts: Mother 'absolutely livid' over lack of support for 7yo autistic twins
- The end of childhood
- Oct 7
- 2 min read
Oct 6, 2025, Nottingham Live: Nottinghamshire mum 'livid' as fight to get daughters into school could last six years
The mum thought her fight was over but has been left angry by a Nottinghamshire County Council plan for the education of her twins
A Nottinghamshire mum has been left "absolutely livid" as the fight to get her twin daughters a proper education continues despite being told it was over just months ago.
Serious incidents of bullying are among the horrific issues that have affected the two seven-year-old girls at their current school.
The mum of the twins is also concerned about their development in mainstream education, fearing they will enter secondary school not knowing much more than a two-year-old.
Nottinghamshire County Council told 33-year-old Samantha Grafton in August that, after initially refusing to give out an education, health and care plan (EHCP) for her daughters, Maya and Esmee, the authority had decided one would be issued. . . .
Ms Grafton had a meeting on Monday (September 30) to discuss that EHCP and was so infuriated by its contents that she is now preparing to launch an appeal against it, which could take 18 months to resolve.
The mum says the EHCP simply says her daughters have autism without going into any tailored support they need and, in the move that has enraged her most, the plan says the twins should stay at their current mainstream school.
The decision comes despite Ms Grafton being asked by the council in August to outline her preferences in terms of specialist schools. The mum said: "I was absolutely livid. . . .
The system in Nottinghamshire designed for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) was found to have "widespread failings" following an Ofsted inspection in 2023.
Nottinghamshire County Council, which delivers SEND services in partnership with other agencies, says improvements have been made since Ofsted's visit.
The system in Nottinghamshire is set to be subject to a full Ofsted reinspection in the summer of 2026 and the county council says recent improvements have included a much higher percentage of EHCPs being delivered in time and the recruitment of extra specialists.
Yet the system was the subject of a critical petition handed to the county council in December 2024, which was signed by more than 1,000 families, some of whom said their children were being "left to rot". . . .
Ms Grafton believes the county council only changed its mind on issuing an EHCP to avoid a costly tribunal that was set to begin this month.
The Ashfield mum added: "I told my girls that, by the 30th, I would be able to get them into a different school and now I feel I've let them both down."
Nottinghamshire County Council did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication, but the authority previously said: "The council aims to ensure the right support is in place for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities, to best support their learning whether or not there is an education, health and care plan in place.
"We continuously work with parents, carers and professionals to assess and review young people's needs."
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