08-09-2005, 04:23 PM
A MOTHER faces a race against time to find a school for her son before term starts again in five weeks.
Eleven-year-old Laurence Clover, who has Asperger's Syndrome, was told there was no school in Cambridgeshire that could teach him. He has finished school for the summer holidays but Cambridgeshire County Council still hasn't found anywhere for him to go in September.
His mother, Rosie Dore, of Lisle Walk, Cherry Hinton, said the search had been put on hold for the school holidays so Laurence will definitely miss out on his education when term starts. But the county council insists it will keep working throughout the holidays to try to find a suitable place.
Ms Dore said she was so worried about the situation she was considering teaching her son at home. But this would mean she would have to give up her job as a lunchtime supervisor at Cherry Hinton Infants School.
She said: "He hasn't anywhere to go in September and it is unfair on my son. It has got to the point where I have even considered teaching him at home but that wouldn't be very good for his social skills.
"He is quite anxious at the moment and he is quite adamant he doesn't want to go away to school. When he is away, his behaviour is worse but when he's at home, his behaviour is not so bad."
She said she had found some special schools in Bedford, Thetford and Bury St Edmunds, which were not too far from her home, by searching herself in the Yellow Pages. She sent the prospectuses to the county council but the authority is still no nearer to securing a school place for Laurence.
A spokesman for the county council said: "We have approached about 20 schools over the past 12 months on behalf of Laurence and his mother, but none of these has proved to be acceptable. We recommended a further two schools towards the end of last term, but we understand Ms Dore has yet to visit them with Laurence.
"We will continue our efforts throughout the summer - with the co-operation of Laurence and his family - to find a suitable school for Laurence. If an acceptable place is not found for the beginning of next term, he will be offered home tuition as a very short term measure."
http://www.dourl.com/d9663
Eleven-year-old Laurence Clover, who has Asperger's Syndrome, was told there was no school in Cambridgeshire that could teach him. He has finished school for the summer holidays but Cambridgeshire County Council still hasn't found anywhere for him to go in September.
His mother, Rosie Dore, of Lisle Walk, Cherry Hinton, said the search had been put on hold for the school holidays so Laurence will definitely miss out on his education when term starts. But the county council insists it will keep working throughout the holidays to try to find a suitable place.
Ms Dore said she was so worried about the situation she was considering teaching her son at home. But this would mean she would have to give up her job as a lunchtime supervisor at Cherry Hinton Infants School.
She said: "He hasn't anywhere to go in September and it is unfair on my son. It has got to the point where I have even considered teaching him at home but that wouldn't be very good for his social skills.
"He is quite anxious at the moment and he is quite adamant he doesn't want to go away to school. When he is away, his behaviour is worse but when he's at home, his behaviour is not so bad."
She said she had found some special schools in Bedford, Thetford and Bury St Edmunds, which were not too far from her home, by searching herself in the Yellow Pages. She sent the prospectuses to the county council but the authority is still no nearer to securing a school place for Laurence.
A spokesman for the county council said: "We have approached about 20 schools over the past 12 months on behalf of Laurence and his mother, but none of these has proved to be acceptable. We recommended a further two schools towards the end of last term, but we understand Ms Dore has yet to visit them with Laurence.
"We will continue our efforts throughout the summer - with the co-operation of Laurence and his family - to find a suitable school for Laurence. If an acceptable place is not found for the beginning of next term, he will be offered home tuition as a very short term measure."
http://www.dourl.com/d9663