A Belfast mum has spoken of her frustration and concern as her nine-year-old son has been left without a school place after being told his current one is no longer suitable.
Parker McGreevy, 9, has a number of additional needs but had been attending a primary school up until the end of last term. A SEN provision had been made available to him at the school but he struggled when there was an increase in the number of other children who began attending it.
His mum Louise McCrory says that at the end of the last school term a meeting was held where it was deemed that Parker would develop better at a dedicated special school and his SEN statement was updated to reflect this.
Parker then left his previous school after Louise was told it did not have the resources to meet his needs, and she believed he would get a new place based on the meetings that had taken place. However, three weeks into the new school year Parker is still without a place in school – with Louise claiming the Education Authority (EA) has told her there are no places available for him.
Parker made headlines a few years ago after he defied a tough start in life where he suffered multiple strokes shortly after his birth. The young boy has since been diagnosed with autism, epilepsy and is awaiting an ADHD assessment.
Speaking to Belfast Live, she said: “Parker had been going to a school in West Belfast since nursery and it had been very good at doing what it can to support him. He has had a statement of special educational needs throughout his time in school and had been in his own unit where he was doing very well.
“Last year things got a bit more challenging for Parker and as other children joined the SEN unit he found it difficult and his behaviour became harder to manage.
“At the end of last term there was a meeting and it was decided that Parker would do better in a dedicated SEN school and his statement was updated to say so. We agreed that it would be better for his development and I was led to believe that as he would no longer be attending his previous school there would be a place lined up for him. But it turns out there wasn’t.
“The EA has said Parker still has a place at his old school, but I have emails saying that it does not have the resources to meet his needs so he is stuck in limbo at home. We have been told there is only one school that would be suitable for him but there are no places there.
“After the meetings that we had at the end of last term it is disappointing that the new school year has started and Parker doesn’t have a school he can go to.”
An EA spokesperson said: “EA has repeatedly highlighted the urgent need for significant investment to increase special school capacity and expand specialist provision in mainstream schools. We fully recognise the family’s concerns and understand how important it is that their child receives the right support at the start of the school year.
“Capacity limits on special schools remain a serious concern, with rising demand meaning much of the estate is close to, or at, capacity. This means there will be cases where the available placement is not the family’s preferred option.
“Provision is based on a child’s assessed needs and current capacity. Where required, EA will provide schools with additional support to meet the needs of individual learners. We remain committed to doing everything possible to ensure pupils can access supported education within this challenging context.”
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