Help Us Get Avery the Education She Deserves!!!!!!

Hi, we are friends of Nikki’s, coming together to support a very special little girl named Avery. Born on Halloween in 2018, she entered the world much earlier than expected, arriving at just 29 weeks. Even before her birth, doctors discovered Avery had kidney and bladder issues, which later were found to affect her bowels as well. Despite a rocky start, including battling sepsis twice, Avery showed her incredible resilience.

Avery has faced more medical challenges in her almost 6 years than many of us do in a lifetime. She’s had multiple surgeries and has been diagnosed with autism, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), Sensory Processing Disorder, Pica, and Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). She’s also awaiting an ADHD diagnosis. Avery requires a gastrostomy tube in her stomach for nutrition, fluids, and medications, and as she grows, her parents continue to uncover more about her complex needs.

Avery's story is one of a fighter, but it’s also one of heartbreak and frustration.

In May 2023, after an agonising 12-month process (which should have taken only 20 weeks), Avery’s EHCP (Education Health and Care Plan) was finalised. She had been thriving in Menphys Specialist Nursery, but when it was time for her to transition to school, no specialist placements were available. Instead, the local authority named a specialist resource base within a mainstream school—a setting that was ill-equipped to meet Avery’s complex needs. The school itself confirmed they couldn’t support her, yet the local authority pushed forward with this placement.

Avery’s parents fought back, appealing the decision and requesting a tribunal hearing. This turned into an exhausting and emotional battle that would stretch over the course of a year.

The local authority then proposed another specialist school. However, this school primarily serves children with profound and multiple learning difficulties, which isn’t appropriate for Avery. She is fully speaking and making significant developmental progress, so her family knew this wasn’t the right fit. They found an independent autism school that specialises in PDA, where Avery’s brother is already enrolled, and it’s clear this is the ideal environment for her. Unfortunately, the local authority refused to fund this placement.

In the tribunal, the judge sided with the local authority, basing the decision on cost, despite the fact that the proposed school cannot meet all the provisions in Avery’s EHCP. Avery also doesn’t meet the school’s admissions criteria, as she is cognitively above the level of most of the children there.

Shockingly, after the judge’s decision, the school finally assessed Avery and confirmed what her parents had been saying all along—that she is too advanced for their setting. However, despite this new information, the decision was upheld, and the family’s only option now is to pursue a judicial review.

Avery is going into her second year without a suitable school placement, and she has not received any of the therapies outlined in her EHCP. The local authority has also failed to provide any tutoring, leaving Avery’s development to regress, and making it extremely distressing for her to leave the house.

This is why we are stepping in to ask for your help. Avery is just a little girl who deserves the education and support she needs to flourish. But, the legal process to challenge the local authority’s decision comes with significant costs, starting with a pre-action letter. Additionally, Avery’s family needs to fund private therapies until she can access the specialist education she deserves.

If you’ve followed Avery’s journey on Instagram (@amazing_averybay) or been touched by her strength and spirit, we’re asking for your support from our amazing community. Whether Avery’s story has made you smile, laugh, or simply inspired you, we hope you’ll consider helping her get the educational placement and therapies she desperately needs.

Every donation will bring Avery one step closer to the future she deserves—a future where she can grow, learn, and thrive.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity and kindness.

Roche and Gemma. X