Six years old. Zero days at school.

Never At School was created by Oliver’s parents because, at six years old, he has still never set foot in a classroom. Oliver is autistic, non-verbal, and has global developmental delay. Hertfordshire County Council knows he needs a severe learning difficultie (SLD) school, yet he has never been offered a suitable place.

Too many stories like this stay hidden. Parents share them quietly in private groups, while headlines reduce everything to vague “SEND pressures.” Behind those headlines are real children, like Oliver, missing out on their right to an education. This site exists to bring those stories into the open.

Hertfordshire County Council failed Oliver, just as it has failed other children across the county. From not providing support at pre-school to trying to send him to a school that admitted it couldn’t supervise him safely throughout the day. We’ve put together a series of posts showing how the council ignored key parts of the SEND process, stopped communicating, and left Oliver without a school place.

We’re building something to show what Hertfordshire likes to hide. Many children are still waiting for a suitable school or the support they were promised. Children are left waiting while decisions drag on and communication stops.

The Council’s Waiting List will make that visible. Each child will be represented by a simple tile on our “virtual wall”, showing that behind every case is a real story that impacts a child.

The project is launching soon. You can share your story now so it is ready when the wall goes live.