The family of an eight-year-old autistic boy from Edgware have been left devastated after an offer for their son to attend a specialist school was withdrawn.

Homayoun Ghaznwi told the Times Series he had begged Barnet Council for years to transfer his son Sulieman to a school with a specialist autistic provision.

His local primary school was “not fit” for his needs, he claimed, with his son struggling to learn or speak.

On July 5, Sulieman’s family was finally able to secure an offer of a place at Radlett Lodge School.

The independent school offers education to 55 children and young people aged five to 19 with autism who have been referred by their local authority.

But for Sulieman to take up a place at the school, Barnet Council had to accept the offer alongside his parents.

And Homayoun claims that despite repeated calls and emails to the family’s SEN caseworker at the council, he received no response during the offer window.

This paper has seen emails that suggest Radlett Lodge emailed the same caseworker on July 5 and July 18 with a reminder that the offer deadline was July 20.

A further two emails were sent from the school on July 23 and July 24 urgently asking for a response from the council.

Finally, on July 30, the offer was withdrawn – seemingly with no response having ever been received from Barnet.

Homayoun has said this left him and his wife devastated, and that matters only worsened in September when they attempted to take Sulieman back to his old school at the start of term.

The dad said: “When my wife took my son to his old school, they did not take him because they said he’s not registered anymore.

“My son has been left at home with no school. We cannot go to work, and he is miserable.

“I am so stressed, it’s so unbelievable.

“The local authority did not even bother to tell us what was going on. We have been left completely in the dark.”

This paper understands that arrangements are currently being made so that Sulieman can return to his old school.

But Homayoun says he wants answers from Barnet Council as to why the offer from Radlett Lodge was seemingly ignored, as well as urgent action to find his son a place at a specialist school.

Barnet Council has declined to comment on Sulieman’s case.

A spokesperson for the authority said: “We cannot comment on individual cases, but we take the needs of all our pupils very seriously and always strive to meet them to the best of our ability.

“We work closely with families and schools to ensure we meet the educational needs of all of our pupils.”