Desperate parents want special school place for son

The couple said they were struggling to control their adoptive son at home

The adoptive parents of a 16-year-old with special needs are pleading with their local authority to allow him to go to an out-of-area school which they believe could help him.

The Shropshire couple said their son has been out of school for 18 months because of his challenging and sometimes violent behaviour.

They identified a school in Stourbridge which has offered him a place, but said Shropshire Council told them the funding was not available.

The authority said it was working with the parents to meet their needs and was increasing the number of special school places available.

The couple, who are not being identified to protect their son, said they had tried home-schooling, but it had made family life "unbearable".

The teenager has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and an Attachment Disorder, among other conditions.

His adoptive father said his son's behaviour was "at times violent, destructive and very, very controlling and coercive".

The police have been called to their house on a number of occasions and the couple said they struggled to control him at times.

'Every child deserves that chance'

The adoptive father said his son was excluded from mainstream education in January 2023 for attacking a teaching assistant and since then had not been in any form of education.

He said Shropshire Council had provided them with a list of just three alternative schools, none of which met his needs, they felt.

Instead, his wife said she had searched hundreds of schools in Shropshire and the surrounding counties and found 50 which might be suitable.

They narrowed down their list and after a successful visit, they were offered a place at a special school in Stourbridge, but Shropshire Council would not sanction the move.

The father said they were told he would have to remain in his current educational setting, which was home-schooling.

His wife said: "Having him here 24/7 is not doing him any good, it's not doing us any good either."

The couple said their teenager had no friends in the local area and his only relationships were online.

They hoped the right school could help him develop his social skills.

His adoptive mother said: "If he was in the right facility, the right school, he could learn how to make those relationships, he would be with experienced people who would help him go forwards, because he can be great."

"Surely every child deserves that chance." she said.

Shropshire Council said: "We appreciate the concerns of the family and have worked with them to meet the needs of their child.

"We have also provided further advice and signposting to the family if they wish to take this further".