A MUM who moved 70 miles to get her son into a school has revealed her kids still don’t have places, and she is now facing fines.
Laura Brockman, 40, relocated from Essex to Kent so that her nine-year-old son Jack could attend a school that would support his special needs.
She also had to find new schools for two of her other children, eight year-old Courtney and six year-old George.
But when the family arrived in their new home, Laura discovered that she wasn’t in the catchment area to get Courtney and George free travel to school.
Laura doesn’t have a car and doesn’t have the money for public transport, so her kids haven’t been able to go to school for a month.
She said: “I’m at a loss for what I can do.
“It’s been over a month and I have emailed and called several times to the county council and schools.”
Courtney and George were initially offered a place at a school seven miles from their home.
But Laura pulled them out when she realised there was no way that she could get her kids there.
They have not been offered places at a nearer school and Laura has reapplied for free travel, but does not think it will be approved as they are not in the area put in place by the council.
Travel on the bus will end up costing her £62, or she will have to force her kids to walk 47 minutes every day.
The mum, who also has three-year-old son Lenny, said all of the schools she applied to were made aware of the fact that she was not able to drive.
She said the kids are struggling with being out of school.
Laura explained: “My kids are finding it really hard being at home.
“They used to be part of after school clubs and were very active, and now they’ve gone from that to nothing. They really found it hard.”
The mum-of-four has considered moving her children back to Essex, but this would put a financial strain on her.
She said: “It’s hard to know what to do. I’m hoping I’ll get some support and some advice from somebody. Anybody.”
A Kent County Council (KCC) spokesperson said: “When we have a child with special needs transferred into Kent, we will always send the draft Education, Health and Care Plan to the parent seeking their representations and any preference for a school place.
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“We are unable to move on with the process until we have received a response from the parent.
“For children without special education needs, when a parent applies for, and is offered, places at the nearest appropriate school, but declines those places and chooses to send their children to a school further away, we do not offer council taxpayer-funded transport to fulfil such a parental choice.
“The rules are clear around this. Such transport is offered to the nearest appropriate school.
“Where a child is seeking to start school for the first time this September, National Offer Day is not until 17th April, so no parent has yet been offered a school place.”
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