'Why has our 10-year-old daughter had no education for a year?' Parents hit out at LCC after move to Preston
Lily-Rhea has been out of education since July last year, and has missed all of year 6.
A family have slammed education bosses at Lancashire County Council after their 10-year-old daughter was left without education all year.
Martin and Ashlee Boyle of Deepdale say they have been left “waiting and waiting” for a school place for their youngest daughter Lily-Rhea, after moving to Preston from Blackpool last July, and said they applied for places “well before” the school holidays.
They say LCC has never bothered to check on Lily’s welfare during that time, and have failed to provide the family with any support, home learning materials, and have only backpaid Lily’s Free School Meal allowance after repeated chasing.
Martin, who is a full-time carer for his wife, said: “They kept telling us that the schools were full. All right, but they have never once offered us any help, no home learning or any device for Lily to keep up with the curriculum.
“My other son is doing his GCSEs and has to travel to and from Blackpool every day. If he doesn’t go, then we’re being threatened with fines and we get welfare calls, but with Lily, nobody has checked on her at all. We’ve not heard from the Children Missing Education officer at LCC since September 27, 2025.
“For every 100 emails I’ve sent, I’ve had six back. The amount of loopholes there are and the struggle to get replies and any answer is unbelieveable.”
Martin added: “Lily loves school and will be starting Archbishop Temple High School in September, but she’s going in blind, friendless, and that’s tough for a 10 year-old. She’s down because she’s been so isolated this past year, and she’s missed out so much.
“Me and her mum can’t do much to help her - we’re not at all academic. I left school at 15 and now I’m a full-time carer.”
The couple say Lily being at home has also put extra demands on their food budget, as her Free School Meals wasn’t being paid until recently, following a formal complaint.
Mum Ashlee said the whole situation has left them ‘heartbroken’. She said: “It has caused so much stress, worry, and upset for all of us”, adding: “They have failed us in the worst way possible. This isn’t just a mistake — this is a total failure of the system that is supposed to keep children safe and ensure they get an education.
“Lily has lost almost a year of her life that she will never get back, and the people paid to protect her let her down completely. They think that sorting out a little bit of money for food makes everything okay, but it doesn’t even begin to cover what she has lost.
“My husband and I are speaking out because we don’t want any other family to go through what we have been through. We want people to know what really goes on behind closed doors, and we want Lily’s story to be heard.”
What does LCC say?
A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said:"We take our duty to secure education for every child extremely seriously.
“This case arose during a period of significant pressure on local primary school places, which limited immediate availability in the area.
"However, we recognise that the length of time taken to secure a placement was not acceptable and we have apologised to the family.
"We have since strengthened our processes and increased capacity within the admissions service to ensure that children without a school place are identified and supported more quickly.
"A school place has now been secured and we are working closely with the family to support a positive return to education."