A DESPERATE family say their daughter is being frozen out of mainstream schooling because she has Down's Syndrome.
Teresa and Kevin Dennison are battling to get daughter Grace, nine, back at St Mary's RC Primary School, on Hemming Drive, Eccles.
Teresa, 43, of Clarendon Crescent, Eccles said: "Grace was being taught alongside her twin brother Ethan, and her younger brother Paddy, six.
"She was coming along so well with her speech, reading and general interaction and we were delighted with her progress.
"However, since she has gone to a special school full-time, she seems to have gone backwards. There is a definite deterioration in her table manners and she sometimes barely speaks at all.
"We are not saying for one minute that the special school is not doing its job - far from it, the staff are excellent.
"But the fact remains that Grace was coming along in leaps and bounds at St Mary's, possibly because she had to work that bit harder.
"My husband and I get the distinct impression she is being frozen out because it is too much trouble to cope with her there."
The problems arose when Grace and her support worker began to split their time between St Mary's and Springwood Primary School, on Barton Road, Swinton.
When the support worker was offered a full-time post at Springwood, it was decided by education bosses that Grace would join her.
The family disagreed and began a long battle to get her reinstated at St Mary's, but say the time it is taking to get the matter sorted is affecting their daughter.
Teresa said: "We have been told a tribunal date has been fixed for October but that is too far away and in the meantime, Grace's behaviour is going to deteriorate further.
"It's also affecting the whole family. Her brothers want her with them at St Mary's, and she had that right to be there but it has been taken away from her - well, we want it returned."
A spokesperson for Salford City Council said: "We are continuing to work with Mr and Mrs Dennison and all parties involved to ensure that Grace receives the best possible special educational provision to meet her needs."
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Name supplied, Address supplied (17/06/2007 at 17:33)
This process shouldn't have opened up the huge political row that it now seems to be developing into, particularly as 1/2 a mile from St Marys, another catholic primary school is happy to offer Grace a place. Wrong decisions appear to have been made and appear to have been supported by the governors of the school.
Maybe St Marys should be working towards a proper solution to resolve the problem rather than justifying the decision which appears on the surface to be a discriminatory one.
This opens up a much wider issue about special needs in mainstream education and an open debate needs to be had so that there is clearer direction for schools from the local education authority.
Michelle Smith, Stockport (20/06/2007 at 21:34)
Lynn, Canada (ex-pat) (20/06/2007 at 22:44)
I am supporting a parent here in Canada that has been fighting for the right to mainstream her son, who also has Down's Syndrome for years finally at age 14 and sick of the courts and she finally decided to homeschool him and my what a difference, he has blossomed both as a person and accademically.
Stick to your guns Teresa and Kevin, you know what is best for 'your' child.
Lynn
H TAYLOR, LEEDS (21/06/2007 at 10:48)
St Marys' should be ashamed , do the "stats" really mean that much, at the expense of a little girl's future.WHERE IS YOUR CONSCIENCE St Marys'!!!!!!!!!!!
C Grier, North Yorkshire (27/06/2007 at 10:30)
As a mother of children educated at a catholic school I am apalled at the decision to exclude Grace by this head teacher.