Angel-faced boy who's been excluded from school 13 times due to his special needs

For the family of little Archie MacIsaac, getting the proper schooling he needs has turned into a years-long battle.

The six-year-old boy might have an angel face but due to his very specialist needs his mainstream school has struggled to cope and he's been excluded 13 times since joining. Archie already has a part time education as his school can only cope with him for three hours a day, and the constant exclusions are making the situation worse, says his mum Amanda Giraldo.

She had been fighting for two years with education officials at Milton Keynes City Council to get her son a place at a special school. But so far the battle has proved fruitless.

Archie was diagnosed when he was two years old with severe autism, Fragile X Syndrome and speech delay. He has frequent meltdowns when overwhelmed and will throw furniture, hit, bite and kick out in frustration.

Amanda, speaking to NationalWorld's sister title the Milton Keynes Citizen, said: “He goes to New Bradwell School and the school is fine. I have no criticism of them. But they simply can’t cope with my son and they have admitted that. He should be at a special school.

"The school is great for normal children. Sadly, my son does not behave normally because he has very special needs.”

On top of her struggles with Archie, Amanda has been battling cancer for two years. A single mum of two, she says trying to get her son the right education has been exhausting and heart-breaking.

"The system in Milton Keynes is a joke,” she said. “What do we have to do to get these children the education they deserve? There is a large group of us SEN mums in Milton Keynes and we’re all exhausted and angry at having to constantly fight the system.” Amanda has sat through three specialist education authority panels in a bid to get her son into a special school such as Slated Row in MK.

"I’ve been fighting for so long, but it seems we’re just going round and round in a loop,” she said. “Last year Archie had to sit in a corridor most of the time to learn.

"He was too disruptive for the classroom and there was nowhere else to put him. He will throw chairs, hit other children, bite them, kick them and pour water on them… It’s no bad behaviour, it’s his disability.

"This year he’s in a special room with a few other children but they are all much younger and non-verbal. As a result, he had regressed.”

The Citizen asked MK Council why Archie could not be given a place in a special needs school. They asked if there was a shortage of such places in the city.

A council spokesman told them: “We are working closely with this family to find the most appropriate school for their child with complex needs. It’s important we get this right which is why all decisions on special school places are made on an individual basis. This process is ongoing.”

He added: “We have six excellent special schools in Milton Keynes but as the city continues to grow, we will continue to create new special school places.”