A parent has criticised a High Wycombe secondary school for allegedly not assisting their autistic child’s needs before they were permanently excluded.

The parent, who has asked to remain anonymous, told the Free Press that the former pupil of Highcrest Academy was forced out just before the start of the October half-term.

The ex-student, who was diagnosed with the condition in January of this year, is currently without a school.

They were permanently excluded after the teenager’s behaviour ‘started to deteriorate’ at the beginning of the school year, with the parent suggesting that this was down to Highcrest not meeting the student’s needs.

The parent told the Free Press: “I knew my child was autistic before they went to Highcrest as it was obvious to me.

“When they began at Highcrest, I would say within a month, I was getting phone calls from the school saying that they might be autistic and that they would help with an Education, Health and Care plan, on the basis my child was diagnosed.

“But we had to wait years for the diagnoses which eventually came in January, so nothing was put in place until then.

“During that time, my child was constantly getting excluded, and the school would moan that they wouldn't want to wear a blazer or a tie.

“But if you know anything about autism, you’d know that some people can’t deal with the texture of certain materials or things around their neck.

“My child sees everything in black or white, and since being excluded, they have been at home with me, and they are missing out on an education.”

The parent has also alleged that their child’s timetable had ‘decreased’ with a lack of lessons, whilst describing the whole ordeal as ‘frustrating’.

They also claim that their calls and emails ‘had been ignored’ by the school.

However, Highcrest has hit back, saying that they ‘work tirelessly’ to help those with special needs at their school, but also criticised the SEND [Special Education Needs and Disabilities] system in the UK.

A spokesperson for Highcrest Academy told the Free Press: “We do everything in our power to support all of our students and take our responsibility to those with additional needs incredibly seriously.

“Indeed, at Highcrest we offer types of alternative provision that are not ordinarily available in a mainstream setting.

 “Through our specialist SEND department, we work tirelessly to remove barriers to learning and continually develop inclusive practices and teaching.

“We are currently successfully working toward obtaining the SEND Inclusion Award; a national award which recognises schools who offer the highest quality provision for students with special educational needs.

“However, we also acknowledge and understand the frustrations that so many families feel about the SEND system in this country.

“You only need to look at the newspapers to see that the sector as a whole is struggling to deal with the volume of young people with increasingly complex needs.  

“Any decision regarding permanent exclusion is always taken as the very last resort after all other avenues have been fully explored.

“I am unable to specifically reference any single case or individual, particularly as the process is still underway.

“However, in any such circumstance, our dedicated team of teaching and support staff will continue to work with partners to support students of all abilities and their families, to help them into the next stage of their education.”