About Us

We are the parents of a 9-year-old boy we are calling EB.

EB is funny, thoughtful, bright and deeply sensitive.
He loves pandas and will not go anywhere without his giant panda, Pandy, who has been by his side through everything.

He loves computer games and is incredibly good at them.
He likes games that challenge his problem solving skills and can complete ones most adults couldn't manage.
He loves bouncing on the trampoline, building dens, racing his remote control car, and playing with his brother and sister.

A good day for EB is a day when he is happy feels safe, regulated and calm.

A day without shutdowns.
A day without meltdowns.
A day where he can simply be a child.

EB is autistic. He has anxiety and sensory processing difficulties. Like many neurodivergent children, school became overwhelming and inaccessible.

For the past 294 school days — approximately 18 months — EB has not received suitable education.

That is not a parenting choice.
That is not elective home education.
That is not refusal.

It is the result of a system that has failed to act.

Why We Are Speaking Publicly

Under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996, local authorities have a clear legal duty to arrange suitable education when a child of compulsory school age cannot attend school due to illness or otherwise.

That duty exists to protect children like EB.

We believe that duty has not been fulfilled.

We have attended meetings.
We have followed processes.
We have requested assessments.
We have appealed decisions.
We have funded private tutoring ourselves.
One of us left work to provide full-time care.

We have tried to resolve this quietly.

But 18 months without education is not a quiet administrative delay.
It is a childhood.

We are making this public for two reasons:

To apply pressure for urgent action for EB.

Because we know we are not the only family in this position.

This Is Bigger Than One Child

Somerset Council has previously been found at fault by the Ombudsman in cases involving delays to EHCPs and failures to provide education under Section 19.

When this happens repeatedly, it is not an isolated error.
It is a systemic problem.

Every child out of school is:

Losing learning
Losing confidence
Losing social development
Losing childhood experiences they will not get back

Children with additional needs are not optional extras in the education system.
They are children with the same legal rights as every other child.

What We Want

We want EB to receive the education he is legally entitled to — education that is suitable to his age, ability and special educational needs.

We want immediate specialist support while longer-term provision is secured.

And we want transparency and accountability so that no other family has to count school days the way we are.