Today we settled our education case. The local authority will fund a costly, but much needed, specialist school place and the daily transport required.
The battle started 30 June 2022 when I first signed a “Notice of Acting and Authority” for the firm of specialist education solicitors.
Since then I’ve fought with everything I had at my disposal to get a specialist school place, and at great personal cost to everyone in our family.
It’s cost me £23,594 in out-of-pocket costs for assessments, advice and representation. Multiple experts, multiple law firms, multiple appeals. And one financial settlement with a primary school.
As a struggling parent of a SEND child, you might feel jealous reading about our success and privilege. However we just feel deeply saddened.
Sad about so many wasted mainstream school years. Sad that we’ve been treated so badly by the local authority. Sad that we needed a small army of solicitors just to be able to access statutory education.
Sad for every other family that very much needs a specialist school place, but aren’t able to get it.
One day, if I make it far enough through my solicitor training, maybe I’ll be lucky enough to write an appeal for one of those families. And I’ll do it for free when I volunteer my time.
But for now, I very much hope that today’s consent order will be the final encounter I ever personally have with education law.
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