A WINCHESTER father says he has been left shocked and upset after being told his severely autistic son would not be getting a place at a special needs school.

Tony Burley, of Middle Brook Street, recently found out that his four-year-old son Theo had not got a place at Shepherds Down School, in Compton.

This is despite Theo currently attending the nearby Lanterns Nursery, in Bereweeke Road, and having autism.

Mr Burley, 36, told the Chronicle that only one of the six children in Theo's class has been offered a place at Shepherds Down, even though last year every child got a place.

Theo has a place at St Bede Primary School in Gordon Road, which Mr Burley fears will not be able to provide the level of support his son needs. 

Mr Burley said: “Lanterns has been great for him. He needs to be at Shepherds Down. Being at St Bede will have a damaging impact on his mental health. 

READ MORE: City councillors approve development on garden of Winchester house

“He needs structure and a routine. He can't speak, so he uses visual cards to communicate. 

“The class size at Lanterns was only six pupils. So to go from that to a class of 30 would be overwhelming. He can get aggressive and bite people. 

“Being at St Bede would have a huge impact on his mental health. It's not right and I'm devastated.

“It's hard enough just going into town. It would cause him so much stress and anxiety. 

“He loves it at Lanterns.”

Mr Burley's daughter, Ella, is currently at St Bede, but he says that Theo's autism is so severe that he needs to be at Shepherds Down.

He said that he has started the appeal process.

On the latest admissions policy for Shepherds Down, it said: “Pupils will be admitted if they have an education and healthcare plan or in exceptional circumstances a statutory assessment is underway and the pupil has been referred to the school by the local authority.”

Hampshire County Council recently reported that more than 93 per cent had been allocated a place at their first choice of school.

A Hampshire County Council spokesman said: “While it would not be appropriate to discuss individual cases, where a child has special educational needs, parents/carers should contact their caseworker within the SEN team to discuss any concerns around their child’s provision and school placement.

"If parents remain unhappy with the placement, they can submit an appeal to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal. Further details can be found on the Government website gov.uk/courts-tribunals/first-tier-tribunal-special-educational-needs-and-disability.”