Angry Milton Keynes mum claims she was told to 'home educate' special needs son because he's too difficult for school

A mum-of-five is struggling to educate her special needs son at home after she says she was told to do so by his school.

Little Joey Carr is just seven years old but has been deemed difficult to teach by Fishermead’s Jubilee Wood Primary School, says mum Tamar.

The youngster has learning difficulties, a chromosomal abnormality and is awaiting official diagnosis for autism and ADHD – but that could take months or even years due to MK waiting lists.

His family applied for an EHCP (Education, Health and Care plan) this summer but the request was refused – partly because the school said they could manage Joey’s behaviour using a 1:1 teaching assistant, said 25-year-old Tamar.

“He’s not a naughty child, he’s a child with special needs. I don’t understand why the school now say they can’t cope,” she said.

"Joey needs extra attention, but he’s not aggressive and he’s never hurt anyone. He gets distracted and does silly things like throw pencils or not sit still.”

Joey also hates wearing shoes – possibly due to hypersensitivity caused by autism – and will often take them off.

Recently Tamar received a complaint that he was in the playground with no shoes, riding scooters and bikes other children had used to get to school.

"Yes, it was wrong of him, but it’s hardly grounds to be excluded,” she said.

"I have five kids and don’t find it too difficult to control Joey’s behaviour. He needs a bit more attention, but he’s not that bad.”

“Another time my partner went to pick him up and Joey was in the toilets, flooding the basin. Yet four teachers were standing there while he was doing it. Surely they could have stopped him?

Afterwards Tamar received a call from the school that left her in shock.

"They said they could not longer teach Joey as he was too disruptive. They said they could exclude him but the “easy option” would be for me to pull him out of school and home educate him until a more suitable school could be found.

"I was so shocked that I agreed. Now I realise I did the wrong thing as he’s been left with no school and no education.

"And if he’s that difficult to manage, why did they say just a few weeks ago that an ECHP wasn’t needed?”

Tamar has a newborn baby and a toddler at home as well as two older children at Jubilee Wood. “There’s no way I have the time to home educate,” she said.

She is now applying to get Joey a place at another nearby primary school but has no idea whether she will be successful.

The Citizen is awaiting comment from MK City Council.

Meanwhile Jubilee Wood headteacher Matt O’Brien said: “Jubilee Wood has a track record of inclusion and prides itself in supporting a number of children with special needs. Joey’s mother communicated with the school on the 3rd October that she had made the choice to home school while she found a school that she believed could accommodate his extra needs. Though the school found some of Joey’s behaviours challenging, they had been looking at all options for how best to support his continued attendance at Jubilee Wood.”