Lakenheath boy, 10, left without school place for six months

Justin Reid has several learning disabilities which make it difficult for him to learn in a mainstream setting, explained his mother, Emma Wiggett. 

At the age of four, Justin was diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety disorder. He also has autism, oppositional defiant disorder, Somatodydyspraxia, insomnia, and is hypermobile. 

On Friday, it was confirmed that Justin will start school at a new setting in September, following enquiries made by this newspaper and the West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock. 

Before then, he had been left without a school place since January. 

Justin is due to start Year Six in September. Image: Emma Wiggett (Image: Emma Wiggett)

Due to the pandemic and his complex needs, Justin spent much of his early primary school years on a reduced timetable. 

Justin started Year 5 in October, after a full-time place was found for him at a school in Bury St Edmunds which specialises in SEND provision.

However, his mother made the difficult decision to remove him on January 24, following several incidents of bullying and physical attacks from other students.  

Justin said that it felt lonely to not have a school place for so long. Image: Emma Wiggett (Image: Emma Wiggett)

Justin has many complex needs which make it difficult for him to learn in a mainstream setting. Image: Emma Wiggett (Image: Emma Wiggett)

Miss Wiggett said that while the school’s communication with her had been “amazing”, both she and the school recognised that it was not equipped to keep Justin safe. 

She advised Suffolk County Council that she had removed her son from the school the following day. 

Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 states that local authorities must make arrangements for the provision of suitable education for children of compulsory school age who are unable to attend school, either through illness, exclusion or any other reason. 

However, Miss Wiggett is disappointed that Justin has received very little support from the county council. For the first five months, he received no educational provision. 

For the past month, he has been able to attend the Forest School based at The Willows in Horringer. However, this has been for just two hours each week.

Justin at a protest for SEND reform taking place in Westminster. Image: Emma Wiggett (Image: Emma Wiggett)

While Miss Wiggett said she has done her best to educate Justin at home, this is no substitute for being at school full-time. 

“He’s not the happy boy he once was,” she said. “He feels isolated, let down and rejected.” 

When asked how he was feeling about not being able to go to school, Justin replied, “Lonely.” 

“He has been denied one of the basic rights that a child in this county at this time is legally entitled to. It’s not fair,” said Miss Wiggett.  

“Education should be inclusive, and available to everybody, no matter what their challenges are.” 

A spokesperson for Suffolk County Council said: “We do all we can to ensure children get the right education in the right setting.

“We recognise the worry for families when placements don’t work out and work closely with families to find the best solution. Sometimes this is a short-term measure until a permanent place can be found.

“The number of specialist places for children with special educational needs or disabilities across Suffolk continues to grow. We have invested £55million to provide 1,275 new places by 2025.”