School Says No, Hertfordshire Doesn’t Care
“the school does not consider itself a suitable placement for Oliver”
“Requires continuous one-to-one adult supervision for safety. We are unable to offer this level of supervision consistently throughout the day.”
“There is significant concern that our learning environment would be unable to meet his academic or emotional needs”
Just some of the reasons the mainstream school said they couldn’t meet Oliver’s needs. Yet despite this, and Hertfordshire previously stating they would be looking to name a suitable setting, they went ahead and named it anyway.
Was it really suitable? Of course not. Hertfordshire knows this, but they name it anyway, all under the guise of ‘every child has a right to a mainstream education’. Of course they do, but why do specialist schools exist if that’s the case?
What the School Actually Said
The mainstream school (which I’m not naming) was very clear in their response. They didn’t have the staff, training, or environment to support a child with Oliver’s level of need.
In their official response, they said he would require 1-1 support and specialist teaching that they wouldn’t be able to provide. It’s worth noting that the council had been on record as saying “Consulting with a mainstream school is part of building a full picture of Oliver’s needs.” Consider the full picture built.
The school also noted that placing Oliver there could have a negative impact on the education of other pupils.
You can see the full response by clicking here (PDF)
In short, everything the council needed to know was there, naming the school wasn’t suitable. The school in this case, to their credit, were really good. We spoke on the phone, exchanged many emails and met in person to discuss Oliver’s situation. They knew they would eventually be named anyway and wanted to be as prepared as they could.
What the Council Did Anyway
When the council issued Oliver’s final plan (late), their own internal panel had said his needs could be met at a school for severe learning disabilities, the specialist school we wanted who were eventually consulted said they can meet needs. So what did Hertfordshire County Council do….
Name the exact same school that said it couldn’t meet his needs (of course)!
Why? Because the school we named is full. Now I’m not an idiot, I know a lot of these schools are full, but that’s partly down to the council not increasing places to meet demand. The demand hasn’t suddenly happened overnight. So instead of looking at alternative options, that can actually provide Oliver with an education, they name an unsuitable school instead.
The next time you read a story about how councils are spending millions on private schools, or spending thousands on school transport, this is why. Hertfordshire and other councils across England have failed to keep up with demand, forcing kids to attend schools miles away from home.
Does Hertfordshire County Council Care?
Nope. When a council names a school that openly says it can’t meet needs, it’s hard to argue for them. The reason the council does this is, yet again, to tick boxes. They can issue a plan, give themselves a pat on the back and hope the parents go away.
We let the council know very early on that we wouldn’t be sending Oliver to a school that couldn’t meet his needs, and of course, we didn’t. In the meantime, Oliver is left with no access to the specialist help outlined on his EHCP, and more importantly no access to a school.
At the time of writing, the council has not offered any provision. In fact, they haven’t contacted us at all. The council will happily sit back, wait for us to appeal (which are taking over a year to be heard) and not have to worry about it.
The Next Step
We are now in the process of appealing Hertfordshire’s decision to place Oliver in an unsuitable school. At the time of writing, the hearing date is currently set for 20/11/2026 – well over a year away.
In the meantime, Hertfordshire County Council knows they have a child out of education who needs a specialist school place, but they do nothing.
