Mum 'burst into tears' over U-turn

JOY OVER TWINS' SPECIAL NEEDS PLAN

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE

AN Ashfield mum “burst into tears” after winning a four-year battle to get school places for her twin daughters.

She says the seven-year-old girls have been punched in the face and stabbed with a pencil - among other horrific incidents of bullying - at their current school.

The children are now set to get a place in a specialist school that better caters for their autism and ADHD.

Nottinghamshire's system for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) was found to have "widespread failings" in an Ofsted inspection in 2023.

Nottinghamshire County Council, which delivers SEND services in partnership with other agencies, says improvements have been made since then.

But Samantha Grafton, 33, was preparing to go to a tribunal against thge county council in October after the authority initially rejected an appeal against not issuing an education, health and care plan (EHCP) for her daughters, Maya and Esmee.

An EHCP is crucial for those with SEND.

It describes the support they need up to the age of 25. Parents and carers can request that a particular school or college be named in this plan, while EHCPs should also specify the alternative education provision a child needs to receive if they cannot go back to school.