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Kelly Bretherton and her son Ashley Hill

AN unhappy Dudley woman, said she "wouldn't be a mum" if she didn't fight to stop her little boy being sent to a secondary school three bus rides away from his home.

Kelly Bretherton's ten-year-old son, Ashley Hill, attends Foxyards Primary School, but Dudley Council have turned down all his secondary school places and have granted him a place at Pensnett High School, which is currently earmarked for closure.

Not only is the distance bothering Kelly, of Silverthorne Avenue, but she had specially selected The Dormston and High Arcal schools for Ashley to attend, because of their strict discipline regime.

The single mum said: "Ashley is quite demanding and needs an extra push and extra guidance at school.

"He is not naughty, he is a lovely little boy, but he is not like the other children. He is quite wayward.

"His behaviour can be silly, but he often goes into his own little world.

"His teachers say he just needs extra guidance, and the schools I want him to go to, I believe would give him that.

"When we were applying people told me to apply to Castle High as it is my closest school, but it doesn't fit my son's needs.

"They let the children roam the town at dinner times, which is no good for Ashley.

"I am not sending him to Pensnett, it's being knocked down in 18 months and that would effect him.

"This is five years of his life I have to cater for.

"I am not happy at the thought of him travelling on his own and wandering through Dudley town centre.

"I am going to fight this one out through appeals. I wouldn't be a mum if I didn't."

Helping the family is Castle and Priory Councillor Margaret Aston, who said: "I'm really disgusted at the thought of an 11-year-old boy travelling on three buses on his own.

"What happens if he has after school activities, it would be dark then. It is really bad."

A Dudley Council spokesman said: " Unfortunately the applicant lives further away from Dormston than the last child allocated a place there under this criteria.

"When the council is unable to offer a place at one of the preferred schools, a place is offered at the next nearest school to the home address and in this case it is The Pensnett School."

11:40am Wednesday 26th March 2008

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