(UK) Stoke: Mom struggles for special school place for severely autistic 5yo

Aug 7, 2025, Birmingham Live: Mum 'seriously concerned' for autistic son, 5, amid fight for specialist school place

Joanne Lowe-Heeland has been forced to give up work to take care of her son

Midlands

A mum has been left suffering panic attacks over her fight for a specialist school placement for her autistic son.

Joanne Lowe-Heeland and husband Christopher Heeland have been left ‘seriously concerned’ about five-year-old Ashton's development.

The youngster is non-verbal and suffers with a number of sensory issues which make him a risk for choking.

And Joanne, of Berryhill, says his needs are not being met and wants action from Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Ashton is in a mainstream school with one-on-one support, but Joanne hopes to get him a place at a specialist school.

The 39-year-old said: “His conditions affect him massively on a day-to-day basis. He has to be managed and monitored all the time because his sensory issues mean he’s a choking risk.

"And obviously with his autism, he has a few behavioural issues. He’ll kick and spit at everybody if he’s upset. And he’s non-verbal, so he finds it difficult to communicate his needs.

“Originally, his current school was a mainstream school with SEND provision. But it was downgraded to being a mainstream school with a SEND unit attached to it.

"That means that they don’t get as much funding anymore and they can’t support his needs anymore.

“In December, I was called to an emergency meeting with Stoke-on-Trent City Council. They told me that I had to find a new place for Ashton in the next few months.

"Seven months down the line, I still haven’t managed to find anywhere. And now they’re telling me that he can stay at his mainstream school - even though the school themselves say they can’t meet his needs.”

Ashton has always attended Kingsland CE Academy, in Bucknall. He has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and receives one-to-one support, StokeonTrentLive reports.

“The local authority was the one telling me I needed to get him a special school place, but now they’re telling me that he’ll be fine where he is," Joanne said.

She continued: "Suddenly the panel thinks he’ll be fine without a specialist setting, even though that’s what they’ve been telling me this whole time. It’s like they don’t know what they’re on about. . . .

 “I think there needs to be a change to the way the council handles these kinds of cases. There needs to be more schools built.

"Because there are clearly not enough. I’ve spoken to lots of other parents at the school who are going through the same situation.”

A spokesperson for Stoke-on-Trent City Council added: “We are committed to working with mainstream schools wherever possible to give children the best chance of success in their local community, alongside their peers.

"Evidence shows that, when properly supported, children often achieve better outcomes in mainstream settings than they would in specialist provision/

“We fully consider parental preference and consult with a number of schools in and around the city to find the most suitable setting to meet each child’s needs.

"We continue to support each child’s current school to deliver their EHCP with additional funding and specialist input in place where this is required.