A SINGLE mum-of-three has criticised a decision to send her autistic nine-year-old son for lessons in Nelson after he was excluded from school in Oswaldtwistle.

Victoria Ayres was told at the start of the month that Michael could no longer attend St Andrew’s CE Primary School.

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Headteacher Christina Wilkinson said that the youngster was being excluded ‘because he ran away from the adults supervising him, refusing to follow instructions and for his continuous disruptive behaviour’.

Mrs Ayres has said that she has been left ‘disappointed and frustrated’ after the boy, who has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and verbal dyspraxia, has been found a place at Hendon Brook Primary School, a pupil referral unit in Nelson.

The Albert Street resident said that she wanted to send him to St Paul’s CE Primary School in Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, and is pulling her five-year-old daughter out of St Andrew’s at Christmas because of what happened.

If she turns down the Nelson school’s offer she will be forced to pay a fine of £80 a week.

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Mrs Ayers said: “I just can’t believe what has happened and that a place can’t be found for him at least in the same borough.

“The school knew of the problems he faces and he did receive help but he still got punished. I feel really let down by the system.

“I gave birth to Amelia on Sunday but I had to be rushed to Burnley General Hospital because she was in distress. The midwife told me that it was my stress levels that had forced my body to not relax and that that had contributed to me being more than a week overdue.”

Mrs Ayres is to attend a meeting with the governors of St Andrew’s school on Friday, October 23, to discuss his exclusion.

In a letter to Ms Ayres, headteacher Christina Wilkinson said: “I realise that this exclusion may well be upsetting for you and your family, but the decision to permanently exclude Michael has not been taken lightly.

“Michael has been excluded because he ran away from the adults supervising him, refusing to follow instructions and for his continuous disruptive behaviour.

“As this is a permanent exclusion the school’s pupil discipline committee must meet to review the headteacher’s decision.

“You have the right to make representations to this committee either in writing and/or in person.

“If you think that the exclusion relates to a disability which your child has, you may raise these concerns in any representations which you choose to make to the school pupil discipline committee.”