Nine-year-old girl with autism may have to wait until after Christmas for Wakefield school place

Grace Gill-Howard and mum Bev Gill moved to Wakefield on November 3 but have been told it could be after Christmas when a place is found.

Bev said Grace had felt unhappy and left out watching other children go to school and had even produced a poster asking Wakefield Council to find her a place.

Bev said: "Grace just wants to go to school. She has already missed a month's worth of education.

"It's not easy at all. It's really difficult. She's missing out on making new friends, missing out on education and she just wants to be with other children.

“It's hard when you move somewhere new. So far she's just at home with me homeschooling and taking her to play centres to compensate for not being with other kids.”

She said that Grace had not been provided with any schoolwork to do from home in the meantime while she waits for a place.

Bev said that she and Grace’s previous school had provided all the documentation necessary to move schools.

Wakefield Council has since apologised for the delay and said it will provide support to Grace when she restarts her education in the city.

And the local authority said it would investigate what cause the problem.

Nathan Heath, Wakefield Council’s Service Director for Education and Inclusion, said: “I’d like to reassure the parents that we are currently working with schools in the local area to find her a suitable place.

“We completely understand that this situation is upsetting for both the pupil and her parents.

"Once a school place is agreed we will work with everyone involved to make sure she is given the support she needs to settle in, and offer her additional support if it’s needed.

“We’d also like to apologise for the delays that have meant she is not at school. We are investigating why this has happened and once this is complete, we will be writing to the parents to let them know our findings."