Leysdown nurse quits job to homeschool son given place at The Abbey School in Faversham

Transcript

00:00It's quite detrimental to our own mental health, his mental health because he feels like no

00:05one wants him, when actually he's a really lovely boy.

00:10Sam's child is thought to be one of the around 45 students on the island of Sheppey with

00:15a secondary school place their family aren't happy with for September.

00:20On school off the day, Kent County Council allocated a place for her child at the Abbey

00:25School in Faversham, but Sam lives on the east side of the island, a journey that looks close

00:31on the map but takes nearly an hour by car and more than two and a half hours on public

00:38transport.

00:39I, yep, I've already had to quit my job because of all the stress that this has caused.

00:46My husband and I both can't be working full time, plus fighting for his school place, plus

00:52obviously having to then maybe homeschool him in September if he's not been given a place

00:58in a school that we're able to get him to.

01:02And there are now calls for urgent action to secure places before the start of term.

01:07Give these secondary schools the best tools to be able to provide these numbers for these

01:12children.

01:13If it's an extra building, if it's some port-a-cabins in a school site, that needs to happen.

01:19And it shouldn't be as part of homeschooling, it should be part of the actual provision provided

01:24by the school so they are safeguarded and they're in a curriculum that is going to provide

01:28them with success for the future.

01:30The newly elected reform ward counsellor says the authority is exploring extra capacity

01:36in Sittingbourne schools but ruled out the use of temporary classrooms.

01:40Of course there are huge legal restraints and requirements on port-a-cabins when actually

01:45children deserve to have a standard education which is of a good level and respect and so

01:51I think port-a-cabins aren't the answer.

01:54One of the big issues is the transport, particularly from the other side, the eastern side of Sheppey,

01:58to Faversham.

01:59That's two and a half hours on public transport.

02:00Is there something more Kent County Council can do to try and solve that issue?

02:05It's unacceptable what has gone on, it's nothing of their fault, what has been going

02:09on here for the last few months and weeks and we will do everything in our power.

02:13If we have to support children going to Faversham we will do everything we can to take that burden

02:17of families.

02:18KCC says the appeals process has been taking place for schools nationally and they say that

02:24will generate some movement and extra offers will be made.

02:28And they go on to say it's crucial that parents join the waiting lists of the individual schools.

02:34Finally they state legally KCC cannot tell schools what admissions decisions they should

02:41make.

02:42Appeal decisions are now being processed and while some families are starting to get

02:47placements many say they feel left in the dark and fear homeschooling may be the only

02:53option come September.

02:55Gabriel Morris for KNTV on the Isle of Sheppey.