THE MOTHER of a teenager with additional learning needs has expressed her fury after she says her daughter has been "kicked out" of her school over mental health concerns.
Kathryn Duggan's daughter Brooke, 15, attended Nurocombe Learning Centre Caldicot Comprehensive School until late June this year, until the family were allegedly told she was no longer able to be looked after safely at the school due to her mental health.
Mrs Duggan explained how Brooke has had well-documented mental health issues alongside her learning difficulties for many years, and had previously been flagged up for concern by the school following an incident in October last year when she made a suicidal attempt.
Monmouthshire County Council, the local authority responsible for the school, have told the Argus that they are "working closely with the family" in relation to the issue.
The school have also allegedly told Mrs Duggan that Brooke had been making suicidal comments in the months since.
However, the school told Mrs Duggan that after months of Brooke attending minimal two hour classes at the centre, the "risk being raised in keeping Brooke safe" is too high for their staff to cope, and that she would "no longer be able to attend school".
As a result, the school told her in June that they would be referring Brooke to be home schooled, or "educated offsite" as a way of supporting her ongoing education.
According to Mrs Duggan, this decision to refer Brooke for home schooling has been done so without the consent of her parents, mental health specialists or indeed Brooke herself.
Following the receipt of the email in which Mrs Duggan was told of the planned referral, she has continually attempted to contact the school to discuss the decision, only to be met with what she has described as "radio silence".
She said: "Since that day, I've spoken to our local mental health team and an additional learning needs officer, who contacted the school and eventually got a response four months later.
"I've recently been told that a final decision meeting is to take place this week, but I've been informed that the decision to approve Brooke for home schooling has already been confirmed without talking to us as her parents first.
"We feel completely let down as a family, because the school had promised they would keep us updated, and have completely ignored our requests to speak to them after we told them, along with the mental health specialists who have seen Brooke, that getting her home schooled is not in her best interests."
Mrs Duggan has been left furious that Brooke is being "denied the right to a proper education" because she claims the school can't handle her issues.
She added: "Brooke already goes to a place where all the pupils have special needs, so I don't understand why they've done this to her after everything.
"It's already a small class - only six people - and Brooke already misses them. She keeps telling me 'Mum, I want to go back to school and be with my friends' and I can't help.
"Surely she deserves the opportunity for a proper education, and home schooling won't help that."
Mrs Duggan says she has already spoken to the local mental health team of the situation, who agree with her that Brooke returning to school would be "in her best interests".
A Monmouthshire County Council spokesperson, said: "Members of Monmouthshire's Inclusion Service have been working closely with the family to ensure a clear understanding of the learner's needs from a social, emotional and educational perspective.
"This follows the person-centred approach that is at the heart of all of our work.
"We will not offer any further comment on individual cases."
Headmaster of Caldicot Comprehensive School Alun Ebenezer said: "All decisions regarding pupils are my responsibility.
“Brooke hasn’t been kicked out. We are aware she has issues, but keeping our pupils safe is of primary importance to us. In order to ensure they are safe we have to put plans in place and make sure we can keep them safe.
“We felt it was in the best interest to work with other agencies to agree on a process. It’s about putting things in place to make sure that she feels safe and happy.
"We are working with other agencies to make that happen. Sometimes that can be hybrid – it can be like rice and chips, bit of school and bit of home - and it is all with the pupil’s best interests at heart.”
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