“SHE will never get that time back” – that’s the fear of Ann Monaghan the carer of her grand daughter Morgan.
Morgan, aged 11, has been kept out of school for 11 months, and Ann says the blame lies squarely at the door of the local education authority, Solihull Council.
Ann said: “This child has been out of school for 11 months and no one at the council has been able to find her a place.”
Morgan has lived with Ann for the past five years and suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyspraxia.
Recognising her conditions Morgan was given an education, health and care (EHC) plan by the council to give her extra help, but since then says Ann, from Bentley Heath, nothing has happened.
“This is a child who was behind when she first got the plan,” said Ann.
“I have never missed a meeting with the council’s social services team, they meet every three months and I am always there and yet nothing has happened.
“No place has been found for her, and there is no home tutor. They have put nothing in place.
“This is a child that social services and the education authority have let down. She will never get back time.”
Ann said Morgan had been bullied at school because she’d been struggling, but rather than dealing with the bully, it had been Morgan who had been made the scapegoat.
“The authorities have to make sure that a child is getting a proper education, that’s the whole point of the EHC plan.
“It’s a document drawn up with the input of doctors and other experts to see what a school can offer and that plan should be adhered to by the local education authority.
“Morgan is someone who needs school more than anyone, and yet she hasn’t been to one in 11 months. It’s disgusting.”
A Solihull council spokesperson said they were unable to comment on individual cases but added: “It is important that all children can attend school regularly.
“We have recently created a new Inclusion Team whose focus is on supporting families and schools where a child is struggling to attend their school.
“This includes those children who are not attending school because they want to move to another school.
“We are also finalising our Additional Needs Strategy which further sets out our plans for improving school inclusion and specialist provision across Solihull so families have more options to consider.”
