Twins given places at different schools due to council 'cock-up'

Suffolk County Council told Ms Duffety her children have no choice but to be separated

As many as 8,000 children are expected to miss out on primary school places this year (PA)

A mother of four-year-old twins, one of whom has cerebral palsy, has expressed outrage at her local council after children were allocated places at two different schools.

Hayley Duffety applied for places at a primary school in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, for her daughter Holly and son Elliot, who requires a wheelchair.

The twins were offered places at separate schools four miles apart, however, due to an error in the Suffolk County Council admissions department.

“They would be terrified on the first day of school,” said Ms Duffety, if her children were to be separated.

Before primary school application procedures opened last year, Ms Duffety applied for the education, health and care plan (EHCP) for her disabled son Elliot.

She was told the process would take 20 weeks and would be complete before the January 2015 cut off for applying for school places.

The EHCP was not finished in time, however, and as a result Elliot's needs were not taken into account.

“The admissions and special educational needs team didn't speak to each other,” she said, “and my children were offered a different school entirely.”

”The school we wanted was over-subscribed. So they sent them out to another village school, which I visited, and they don't have any wheelchair access.“

After arguing her case with the council ”for weeks and weeks“, Elliot was offered a place at Abbots Green - the school Ms Duffety had originally applied for.

”But unfortunately because it was all done very late, there's no space for my daughter,“ she said. ”So she still remains at the other school, which is ridiculous.

“They (the council) say they won't budge, the school is full, tough. It's an absolute cock up.”

Suffolk County Council said it was aware of the situation. A spokesman said the authority was speaking to Ms Duffety and would be addressing the formal complaint made.