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Education- Child refused by primary school because he has a learning disability

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A MOTHER whose son who was kicked out primary school because his teachers refused to accept he had a learning disability has said she has lost all faith in the system.

Sheila Marquand, of Putney Road, spent thousands of pounds fighting Capel Manor Primary School, in Bulllsmoor Lane, and Enfield Council at a tribunal after they forced her son Zak, now 8, out of school permanently without having him properly assessed.

Despite winning the case, the mother-of-three said the ordeal made it clear to her that parents were powerless against schools and local authorities.

As well as the expense of fighting lengthy legal battles, Mrs Marquand warned that parents could easily get lost in jargon and red tape and were often unaware of their rights.

She said: "I was threatened by a representative from Enfield Council's behaviour support service that if I didn't agree for Zak to be moved to a school of their choice, they would have the power to put him there with or without my permission. He said that if I didn't cooperate the local authority would take me to court for non-attendance.

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I felt utterly isolated. I then read in the guidance that parents couldn't be threatened with an exclusion if they didn't agree. I decided to complain to the Government ombudsman who said if it wasn't in writing he couldn't pursue it."

Mrs Marquand then took her case to the Special Educational Needs Tribunal (SENDIST) who ruled her son had been unfairly discriminated against.

They criticised the school for placing him at a "serious disadvantage" by depriving him of his education and by failing to have him assessed and provided with an official statement of his disability.

It was in 2008 that Zak first started getting sent home from school for being disruptive in class, after attempts to manage his behaviour failed.

He was later diagnosed by a hospital doctor with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who wrote a letter to headteacher Karen Jaeggi warning her of his condition.

According to Mrs Marquand, Mrs Jaeggi promised to start an application to have him properly assessed in order to obtain an official statement of the disability, but never carried it through.

By April 2009, Zak was excluded on a temporary basis, and later permanently excluded by June 2009.

In its ruling, the tribunal said: "Bearing in mind the seriousness of Zak's behaviour at school, we believe he should have been considered by the school for emergency placement elsewhere and/or immediate referral for statutory assessment.

"It was not sufficient that Mrs Jaeggi took no initiative, merely on the basis that, as she told us at the hearing, she believed it to be highly likely that her request would be met with a negative response because it was outside the council's established criteria for considering referrals made by schools."

The school and Enfield Council were ordered to make a formal apology to the family, but no further action has been taken.

In a statement, Enfield Council said: "All parents have a right to appeal any decisions reached by the council in relation to the care and education of their children.

"It is not unusual for parents to appeal if they are not satisfied with a council decision. The Marquand case followed the process and once we received the tribunal order, we complied with the ruling and have met the children's needs accordingly."

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Mum wins discrimination battle after son kicked out of primary school

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A MOTHER whose son who was kicked out primary school because his teachers refused to accept he had a learning disability has said she has lost all faith in the system.

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hospital - girl dies after doctors refuse antibiotics

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by JENNY HOPE, Daily Mail

A girl of five developed a fatal infection when a hospital refused her antibiotics after an operation.

Phoebe Birdseye never recovered from emergency throat surgery to remove a drawing pin she had swallowed.

Doctors at Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham refused to give her antibiotics as a precaution against infection even though the embedded pin had had to be extracted under general anaesthetic, it is alleged.

In the three weeks that followed, Phoebe's parents became frantic as she stopped eating, lost half a stone and spoke in a whisper.

They went to hospital and their GPs' surgery five times, but claim doctors never properly examined Phoebe's throat - which had developed a huge abscess. One doctor is said to have told her to 'stop worrying your Mummy'.

Four days after this, they took her to hospital again.

Within eight hours of being admitted, she stopped breathing as her parents, two-year- old brother and other children on the ward looked on in horror.

The ward's lifesaving equipment was being upgraded and staff were unsure how to operate the resuscitation kit, which may have cost vital minutes in reviving her.

Phoebe spent more than a week in intensive care with major brain damage before her life support was switched off on August 29. Her parents Joanna, 35, and Nick, 34, believe the Health Service failed their little girl. 'It was such an unnecessary waste,' said Mrs Birdseye.

'She was a beautiful, vibrant, healthy little girl who was let down with her life by the NHS. The doctors let us all down - they didn't trust our instincts as parents.

'We only found out three weeks later that the drawing pin had been embedded in her throat.

'Phoebe should have been given antibiotics straight after the operation, but we were told it wasn't hospital policy.'

The youngster swallowed the pin by mistake. 'She had taken her new birthday photo down from a notice board to write her name on it and we think she held the drawing pin between her lips and accidentally swallowed it.

'A simple mistake we should all be allowed to make turned into the worst kind of tragedy for Phoebe.'

The family, who live near Nottingham, are taking legal action against doctors at the Queen's Medical Centre, and their local GPs' surgery, the Fountain Medical Practice.

They are determined to be a 'voice for Phoebe' to change the level of 'acceptance of average' within the NHS.

But under the anger is the constant aching loss of Phoebe. 'She was the strong one and she never gave up fighting when everything was against her and they didn't help her,' said Mrs Birdseye. 'Her name means The Shining One and she has shown me just how special she is.'

Phoebe swallowed the drawing pin on Monday, July 30. Her father took her straight to Newark Hospital accident and emergency department and she was transferred by ambulance to Queen's Medical Centre.

There, ENT doctors managed to remove the pin from her throat under general anaesthetic and she was discharged a few hours later.

Mrs Birdseye, who had stayed at home to look after their two-year-old son Tom, asked her husband whether Phoebe was given antibiotics. 'He said no - the doctors said we should give Calpol for any soreness,' she recalled.

During the next few days, Phoebe remained 'sad, stiff and sore', according to her mother.

After weeks of worry and appointments with doctors who allegedly failed to diagnose the abscess in Phoebe's throat, the Birdseyes took her back to Queen's.

She began to choke while waiting to be examined. She suffered major brain damage and spent almost ten days in intensive care before her death. 'Phoebe fought and fought and we are so proud of her,' her mother said. 'She looked beautiful but she couldn't repair the massive brain damage she had suffered as a result of not being able to breathe due to the undetected abscess.

'I've read about tragedies like this before and thought surely the parents could have done something - but now I know we did everything we could and it still wasn't enough.'

A spokesman for Queen's Medical Centre said: 'Mr and Mrs Birdseye have our deepest sympathy for their tragic loss and we are conducting an inquiry into Phoebe's case.'

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Girl dies after doctors refuse antibiotics

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by JENNY HOPE, Daily Mail A girl of five developed a fatal infection when a hospital refused her antibiotics after an operation. Phoebe Birdseye never recovered from emergency throat surgery to remove a drawing pin she had swallowed.

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hospital - child refused treatment becomes ill with worst seen case of chickenpox

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"The vaccine aims to protect those who are at risk from serious illness.

"That's why it is recommended for children with family members who are undergoing medical treatments such as chemotherapy which can affect immunity."

A spokesman for Cambridge and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: "The CCG is unable to comment upon individual patient cases.

"However in the event that a child contracts chickenpox, the NHS offers the following advice and information:

"Chickenpox is usually a mild illness from which most children recover on their own.

"Symptoms include a high temperature, aches and pains, and a rash of blisters. These usually pass within a week or two, and the blisters dry up and fade.

"The best treatment is to use soothing creams and/or appropriate doses of paracetamol to ease any discomfort, while keeping your child hydrated by giving them lots to drink.

"It is highly advisable that parents and carers keep a watchful eye on children who have chickenpox, as complications, although rare, can develop - especially in children who are very young, are on other medications or who may have a weakened immune system.

"If you are ever concerned about your child's health then call NHS 111 who can give advice or refer to an appropriate NHS service, including A&E if necessary.

The CCG is not responsible for the chickenpox vaccine; this comes under the remit of Public Health England."

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Toddler spends five days in hospital suffering from 'worst case of chickenpox ever seen' after being denied GP appointment

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"The vaccine aims to protect those who are at risk from serious illness. "That's why it is recommended for children with family members who are undergoing medical treatments such as chemotherapy which can affect immunity." A spokesman for Cambridge and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) said: "The CCG is unable to comment upon individual patient cases.

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hospital - child was refused treatment

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AN angry father claims that children's ward staff at the Royal Oldham Hospital refused to treat his...

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hospital

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A seven-month old baby died after being refused access to Stafford Hospital because its A&E department is shut at night and the children's ward was full.

Holly Waters was pronounced dead on arrival at University Hospital of North Staffordshire (UHNS) after a 22-mile (35km) journey by ambulance on 28 June.

She lived 2.5 miles (4km) from Stafford Hospital.

A hospital spokesman said the paediatric ward had been full and handling an emergency at the time.

Holly, who up until that point had been a normal, healthy baby, was found unconscious in her cot by her mother, Charlotte Waters.

'Still be here'

The family called 999 and a paramedic arrived four minutes later at 22:46 BST.

It was at 23:37 BST that the baby reached the Stoke-on-Trent hospital.

Stafford Hospital's A&E has been shut from 22:00 to 08:00 since December, as Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust needs to recruit additional staff.

Holly's father Sean Birch said this - and an already full children's ward - had led to up to a 20-minute delay.

Mr Birch said: "We were actually told that she died two minutes away from North Staffordshire, but if she had gone to Stafford Hospital and they had managed to put a drip in and stabilise her, then send her to North Staffordshire, she would still be here today."

Both West Midlands Ambulance Service and the Mid Staffordshire trust said it was impossible to say whether admitting Holly to Stafford Hospital would have made a difference.

According to the ambulance service, both the officer at the scene and ambulance control contacted Stafford's A&E department but were told the unit could not accept Holly.

Requests to take the baby to the children's ward at Stafford were also refused, the ambulance service said.

'Protocol followed'

Colin Ovington, director of nursing and midwifery at Stafford Hospital, claimed it would have been unsafe for the paediatric unit to have accepted Holly.

"The staff were already treating a very seriously ill child who had been brought in as an emergency and they were also caring for a number of other emergency admissions and sick children," he said.

"The staff correctly followed the joint protocol between the hospital and West Midlands Ambulance Service for these circumstances."

In a statement, Mid Staffordshire trust said: "When contacted by the West Midlands ambulance crew, our paediatric ward told the crew that they were unable to accept the baby because they did not have the capacity in the ward and were already dealing with an emergency.

"As per the agreed protocol, the ambulance crew were directed to take the baby to UHNS.

"The ambulance crew also contacted our A&E department, who repeated the instruction that the baby should be taken to UHNS.

"Following an internal investigation, this was not reported as a serious incident.

"There was no reason to discipline or suspend any member of staff."

A spokeswoman for NHS Midlands and East, the strategic health authority, said it had not been informed about the incident.

"It is disappointing that this incident was not formally reported and we are now seeking assurances from the NHS organisations that this is being investigated, in order to fully understand what took place," she said.

An initial post-mortem examination was unable to find the cause of death.

An inquest will be held in due course.

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A seven-month old baby died after being refused access to Stafford Hospital because its A&E department is shut at night and the children's ward was full. Holly Waters was pronounced dead on arrival at University Hospital of North Staffordshire (UHNS) after a 22-mile (35km) journey by ambulance on 28 June.

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education- primary schools rejecting poorer children in favor for children from richer homes.

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Primary schools in England have been accused of "social segregation" after a report showed more than 1,500 schools were turning away disadvantaged pupils in favour of children from higher-income families.

A report from the Sutton Trust found some of the most popular primary schools - particularly faith schools - had complicated oversubscription criteria that actively discouraged parents of poorer children and allowed the schools to be selective about which pupils were granted a place.

The findings have raised concerns about a lack of equity in access to primary schools resulting in pupils from lower-income backgrounds potentially missing out on places at top-performing state schools.

Dr Rebecca Allen, who co-authored the report, said: "There are some parts of the country where many schools are accepting some children ahead of others - what we found is that those children had a social profile that was more affluent than the neighbourhoods that they were recruiting from.

"The main way that a child would get a place at a school ahead of someone living closer to that school is through religious selection - and it happens that children who attend church for example tend to be from wealthier families."

The report found a direct correlation that showed the most popular primary schools used more complex criteria for selecting new students.

British primary schools typically use around five different criteria, but of the most socially selective primary schools, at least one detailed as many as 18 oversubscription criteria.

These included "giving a high priority to looked after children sharing the faith of the school", "prioritising attendance at named churches over a long period of time" and "prioritising children of staff".

In several instances, schools were found to be in breach of the Admissions Code.

Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), said: "It is important is that every child from whatever background has access to a good local school which draws from a balanced intake across the local community and reflects all levels of ability and background.

"There need to be clear criteria that give all parents a chance to secure their child a place in their local school. Complicated admissions policies with conditions that potentially exclude local children of whatever social background are detrimental to education and communities. Policy-makers need to understand what is happening beneath the radar of their school reforms - education is becoming an instrument of social segregation, not an answer to it."

The findings come as thousands of parents across the country wait to be told which primary school their child will be offered a place at in September.

According to the researchers, places at Church of England schools are increasingly competitive in correspondence to often soaring Ofsted reports and higher achievement rates.

Dr Allen said: "There is a reason these schools are popular - they are often successful and have historically been so.

"If we want to keep criteria for large religious schools to select [new admissions], I think we need to dampen down the effects of that - either by allowing for a select number of places available on religious ground or a number of places left for the local community."

Of all the schools surveyed, there were more than 1,000 primary schools where the proportion of pupils taking free school meals was more than 10 per cent lower than that found among children in the neighbourhoods from which they recruit.

Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, criticised Government policy for allowing "selection by stealth" among higher achieving schools.

"There is a national admissions code which applies to all schools which is supposed to make sure that admissions are as fair as possible," she said.

"However, the increasing fragmentation of the system as a result of Government policy has removed robust oversight and scrutiny of this code.

"The consequence is that there is now 'selection' rife in the system, with those from the poorest backgrounds being disadvantaged.

"This has been compounded by the fact that key provisions and safeguards in the admissions code have been removed or diluted by the Government, with much of it now being 'non-statutory', meaning that schools are not required to follow it.

"Consequently we now have selection by stealth, as practices are introduced which are designed to deter children from socio-economically deprived backgrounds with increasing numbers of parents unable to secure a place in their local school.

"As a result of Government policy, children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are being denied the entitlements they should expect from a public education system."

It comes as the Institute for Fiscal Studies warned spending per primary school pupil would fall 7% in real terms between 2016 and 2020.

The economic think tank said this would be the largest real-terms fall over any period since at least the late 1970s, but added that due to substantial growth in the 2000s, real school spending per pupil in 2019-20 would still be more than 50% higher than in 2001.

Lucy Powell MP, Labour's Shadow Secretary of State for Education, said: "Parents will be very surprised to learn that schools' budgets face real cuts after the Prime Minister personally promised to protect their budgets at the last election.

"Schools will be forced to reduce the number of teachers and teaching assistants and stop funding extra-curricular activities. These cuts will have a huge impact on standards and outcomes.

"At the same time, this Government's costly reorganisation of our schools system, forcing every primary and secondary school to become an academy by 2022, will remove even more money, time and effort away from where the focus in schools should be - on raising standards. This unnecessary and unfounded distraction to academise all schools is the wrong priority and harms standards in the classroom."

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Primary schools accused of 'social segregation' by rejecting poorer pupils in favour of children from higher income familes

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Primary schools in England have been accused of "social segregation" after a report showed more than 1,500 schools were turning away disadvantaged pupils in favour of children from higher-income families.

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Education -  Boy rejected from his old school because there was not enough coat hooks or playground space

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Max Knowles, 10, was refused a place at school over 'lack of coat-hooks'

He attended Hill West Primary in Birmingham until family moved abroad

But on their return he was told he could not rejoin his old friends

Max has been bullied and doctors said he needed familiar surroundings

But School Admissions Authority dismissed his family's appeal

Education chiefs have refused a ten-year-old boy a place at his former school because there were not enough coat-hooks.

Chris and Joanne Knowles were also told son Max could not rejoin Hill West Primary School in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, because its playground was at full capacity.

The youngster previously attended the school before the family moved to Australia where Mr Knowles worked as an insurance sales manager.

But the family returned earlier this year after Max suffered bullying while living abroad.

His elder sister Poppy was admitted to The Arthur Terry School in Sutton Coldfield without any problems, but his application for Hill West was rejected.

The family appealed and provided medical evidence that Max had suffered the bullying, which meant he needed 'familiarity along with the welcoming and known surroundings' of his old school.

But an independent panel dismissed the appeal, citing a lack of coat-hooks and playground space among the reasons.

A letter to the parents said: 'Storage space for pupils is limited. There are 30 coat and bag hooks or lockers allocated to each child.

'Therefore there are no facilities available for children in excess of this.'

It added that another pupil 'would increase the likelihood of accidents in the playground.'

Mr Knowles said: 'Surely the wellbeing of a ten-year-old is more important than having to put a new coat-hook on the wall?

'To hear that unfortunately the school doesn't have enough coat-hooks so your child doesn't have a place is unbelievable.'

Max was offered a place at either New Hall in Falcon Lodge or Banners Gate in Kingstanding.

But his parents say he would be unable to catch the necessary buses to go to the schools alone.

Mr Knowles said: 'He's terrified of going on the bus. He gets anxiety. He has panic attacks because of the bullying.

'Every single one of his friends is at Hill West Primary School. We don't know where to turn next.'

Sutton Coldfield MP Andrew Mitchell sent a letter to the council on the family's behalf imploring them to act with 'compassion and empathy'.

But head of school admissions Julie Newbold said: 'The family's appeal was considered by a panel independent of both Birmingham City Council and Hill West Academy.

'The family had an opportunity to submit all of their reasons, both verbally and in writing, as to why they should be offered a place.

'Hill West Academy also submitted their reasons for why they could not admit any more children for that year group. Unfortunately, the independent panel decided not to uphold the family's appeal.

'If the family feel that they did not have a fair hearing, they can refer the matter to the Education Funding Agency.'

Head of School Admissions (Fair Access and Attendance) at Birmingham City Council Julie Newbold said: 'Hill West is an academy. As such, its governing body is the admission authority and sets the oversubscription criteria.

The school did not offer the child a place because the school was full to its published admission number in that year group.

'The family's appeal was considered by a panel that was independent of both Birmingham City Council and Hill West Academy.

'At the appeal hearing, the family had an opportunity to submit all of their reasons, both verbally and in writing, as to why they should be offered a place at Hill West Academy.

'Hill West Academy, also submitted their reasons for why they could not admit any more children for that year group. Unfortunately the independent panel decided not to uphold the family's appeal.

'Although the local authority coordinates the offers of places, if the family feel that they did not have a fair hearing, as the school is an academy they can refer the matter to the Education Funding Agency.'

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Boy,10, refused place back at old school over lack of coat-hooks

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Max Knowles, 10, was refused a place at school over 'lack of coat-hooks' He attended Hill West Primary in Birmingham until family moved abroad But on their return he was told he could not rejoin his old friends Max has been bullied and doctors said he needed familiar surroundings But School Admissions Authority dismissed his family's appeal Education chiefs have refused a ten-year-old boy a place at his former school because there were not enough coat-hooks.

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education.
children with autism being excluded from schools because teachers cannot cope with their behaviour

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Nearly half of autistic children in England may have been illegally excluded

Up to 20,000 children have experienced unofficial exclusions, report finds

Exclusions that occur without school providing right paperwork are illegal

Nearly half of all autistic children in England have been illegally excluded from school because teachers 'cannot cope with their behaviour', figures reveal.

Around 20,000 children have been illegally put on a reduced timetable, sent home early or asked not to go into school on days when tests or trips were happening.

These exclusions, if they happen without the school providing the proper paperwork, are illegal.

The report, conducted by Ambitious About Autism - a charity dedicated to improving opportunities for young people with ASD (autistic spectrum disorder) - surveyed 745 families in the UK.

It found that children with autism are four times more likely to be permanently excluded from school than any other child - with nearly a quarter of respondents (45 per cent) being formally dismissed at some point.

The report found: 'Not only do children with autism miss out on vital school time because of illegal exclusions, but by going unrecorded or reported the scale of the problem is hidden, making it harder for families to stand up for their children's rights.

'We know that illegal exclusions are commonplace, with 33 per cent of school leaders confirming that they knew at least one child with autism who had been excluded from their school illegally in the last year.'

Children with autism have difficulties with social interaction and anxiety and may suffer with sensory processing disorder which includes being sensitive to touch, and hearing or seeing noises and lights more intensely.

The vast majority of children with autism in Britain attend mainstream schools, academies and special schools.

According to government guidelines, a pupil can only be legally excluded for a set number of days or permanently, and any exclusion must be formally recorded. Sending pupils home early or for a 'cooling off' period is deemed unlawful.

Elizabeth Archer, of Ambitious About Autism, told The Times: 'If our sample is reflective then around 20,000 children in England are being illegally deprived of some parts of their education this year.

'Official exclusions are supposed to trigger the school and local authority to look again at whether needs are being met. We believe that if children with autism had their needs met in school these exclusions would be nowhere near this level.'

WHAT IS AUTISM?

Autism is a serious lifelong developmental disability. It affects the way a person communicates and relates to people around them.

Autism can be viewed as a spectrum disorder and is often referred to as ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder). At one end, the mild form is characterised by an individual finding it difficult to engage with people or cope with everyday interactions. They may have repetitive and limited patterns of behaviour and be stuck in a strict routine and be resistant to change.

At the other end of the spectrum, an individual's behaviour may be disruptive, aggressive and unpredictable, both to themselves and to others. These sufferers may never speak and seem to be locked away in their own world. They are in a state of constant stress and their families are often driven to desperation.

- The Fred Foundation

The report also found that nearly three quarters of parents find getting the right support in school for their autistic child so stressful it causes them to lose sleep.

Meanwhile, 80 per cent of children with autism find school so stressful they experience anxiety about attending every day. More than half of these find this anxiety so debilitating that they miss school days as a result.

Jonathan Andrews, chair of the charity's youth council, said he was 'shocked and appalled' that young people with autism 'could be let down in this way'.

He told the report: 'Every child deserves access to a good quality education, and children with autism are no exception.

'Many show great interest in learning, and have great skills to offer the world which education is instrumental to developing - but they need to be supported properly through this.

'Awareness of autism and other special educational needs among teachers is vital if we want to provide young people with autism a strong start in life, rather than repeating the examples of poor practice.

'It is only then that young people with autism can feel truly understood, avoid being excluded and stigmatised because of who they are; and grow up happy, confident, and able to both enjoy and make the most of their education, and to use the skills it grants to benefit society.'

CASE STUDY: HOW AUTISTIC CHILDREN ARE BEING LET DOWN

Louisa Emerson, 45, whose youngest child, Fred, nine, is autistic, said he had previously been threatened with exclusion.

The mother-of-two, of St Lawrence, Essex, said: 'The school had threatened us with exclusions or sending Fred home. Whenever they did, I would point out that my son needed support and ask again about a statement or other support.

'I believe the school knew that they couldn't exclude him if they hadn't been supporting him properly and so they would back down. Once he had his Education, Health and Care Plan he was entitled to 20 hours a week with a support assistant.'

However, she said he 'often didn't receive' the one-to-one guidance as the assistant was often helping other children. She said on one of his unsupervised days at school, the youngster lashed out at lack of support by hitting another child.

She said: 'His assistant ended up being away from the classroom during just the sort of turn taking game which the specialist teacher had previously warned was really stressful for Fred.

'He was set up to fail in my view.

'Fred was so worried that he mistakenly thought his turn was being missed. He reacted by hitting another child. I'm really sad for the child that this happened, and Fred was very distressed that he had done it.

'Both Fred and the other child were let down by the school's lack of planning.'

As a result of the incident, Fred was isolated from his pupils for 20 days - instead receiving lessons in a small back room with his learning support assistant. He was not allowed to have any contact with fellow children either in class, at lunch or at playtime, and was excluded from attending after school clubs or planned day trips.

Ms Emerson said: 'The school maintained throughout that this was not an exclusion. They continued with their actions despite concerns being raised.

'As his parents we were absolutely powerless and no-one seemed able to get him out of that room.

'Effectively he was victimised.

'He's certainly not the only nine year old child who's ever hit anyone, but he was the only child to be taught effectively in a store room, by himself, for a month.'

She added: 'The local authority's specialist teacher intervened. She hadn't been informed by the school that Fred was also being kept isolated at lunch and break times and she said that she found this shocking. She arranged the first face-to-face meeting that had taken place between everybody involved. This prompted a bit of a gear change, and the school started to put in some support.'

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Nearly half of autistic children 'have been illegally excluded'

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Nearly half of autistic children in England may have been illegally excluded Up to 20,000 children have experienced unofficial exclusions, report finds Exclusions that occur without school providing right paperwork are illegal Nearly half of all autistic children in England have been illegally excluded from school because teachers 'cannot cope with their behaviour', figures reveal.

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EDUCATION children rejected from their first and second choice primary schools.

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The birth rate is currently at its highest since 1991 and has increased by an average of 17 per cent since 2001. Around one-in-seven primary pupils already speaks English as a second language and numbers have risen by a quarter in four years.

Some authorities also said demand for places was fuelled by the recession as growing numbers of families abandoned fee-paying schools in favour of state education.

Across England, dozens of councils said they were being forced to build school extensions and even educate children in mobile classrooms to ease the pressure.

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats seized on the findings last night, saying that Labour had failed to create enough good school places over the last 13 years.

Justine Roberts, co-founder of Mumsnet, the parents' website, said: "What parents really want are more good schools that are available to all. Too often in local areas there will only be one good school which is hugely oversubscribed. Others, such as religious schools, may not be open to all.

"That means that this notion of choice in some areas doesn't even exist. Good primary schools become a question of if you can afford to live in the area. There is too much pressure on the primary schools that are known to be good."

The Telegraph obtained information from half of the 150 local education authorities in England.

Data suggests that around one-in-nine children has been rejected from their first choice school this year compared with one-in-10 in 2009. Just over half of councils saw the proportion of first place admissions fall.

Some five per cent of infants failed to get into any school named on application forms - forcing parents to accept relatively unpopular primaries often miles from their home.

In Halton, Merseyside, the number of children being granted their first choice school fell from 93 per cent in 2009 to 86 per cent this year.

In Rutland, East Midlands, first preferences fell from 94 to 83 per cent. In the Isle of Wight, this figure dropped from 96 to 87.9 per cent.

The biggest squeeze on places was at the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, where only 69 per cent of children got their first choice primary.

The council said it was spending £1.6 million to cope with growing demand for places - on top of £300,000 last year.

Andrew Christie, director of children's services, said: "There has been a rapid growth in demand, partly because the recession has deterred some parents from choosing independent schools, but also because of the increased birth rate in the borough."

In Surrey - where 16 per cent of children did not get their fist choice - six mobile classrooms and three additional classrooms will be introduced in the autumn.

The county council said it received 427 more primary applications this year - the equivalent of 14 classes - due to a rise in the birth rate and the impact of the recession.

Peter Martin, cabinet member for children, said: "To build two new primary schools to house 427 children would cost us £11m.

"This shows the severe strain the economic downturn and a booming birth rate are putting on education in Surrey when many of our schools are already full to bursting."

In Nottingham, applications increased by 14.8 per cent this year to 3,025 and the council now plan to create an additional 750 places.

Cambridgeshire County Council has been forced to add 8.5 classes. Bristol is creating 270 extra places, Leeds is providing 270, Bournemouth 195 and Manchester a further 600.

In London, Kingston-upon-Thames is introducing 300 extra places, while 297 are added in Croydon and 120 in Barnet.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families has said that local authorities are "under a duty to make sure that every child of compulsory school age has a suitable school place".

The Tories have pledged to ease the pressure on school places by allowing parents to open their own schools funded at taxpayers' expense.

Michael Gove, shadow schools secretary, said: "It's heartbreaking to hear that so many parents aren't getting the school they want. When one in nine parents don't get their first choice of school there is clearly a shortage of good school places."

David Laws, the Liberal Democrat schools spokesman, said the party would invest extra money to cut primary school class sizes.

"The annual scramble for school places seems to be getting even tougher, leaving many parents deeply disappointed," he said.

"We need to ensure there are more good school places so every child goes to a good school. The endless tinkering and top down initiatives from Labour have failed."

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Primary schools reject thousands of children

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The birth rate is currently at its highest since 1991 and has increased by an average of 17 per cent since 2001. Around one-in-seven primary pupils already speaks English as a second language and numbers have risen by a quarter in four years.