A mother has appealed for her son to be taken out of mainstream education and be found a place in a special school.

James Townsend, eight, is a pupil at Great Bentley Primary School and suffers from mild autism and has learning difficulities.

And although his mother, Paula, believes staff there have done everything they can within the resources and skills available to them she feels he would be better off elsewhere.

Mrs Townsend, of Sycamore Place, Great Bentley, said she first wanted James to go to a special school when he was five and she has not changed her mind.

She even moved him from another primary school in the Tendring district to see if things would improve.

"I have given mainstream education three years but it has just not worked for my son," she said.

"He is disruptive in class - even though he has one to one help 25 hours a week from a teaching assistant. James hides under sinks, kicks and fights other children and makes it difficult for the rest of the pupils and staff."

Mrs Townsend said she did not feel Great Bentley Primary had let her down - merely that it did not have the expertise to cope with a child like James.

She has had numerous meetings and reports prepared but said the education authority seemed unwilling to accept that her son needs to go to a special school.

She added: "I believe James should go to somewhere like Market Fields School at Elmstead where they can better cope with his type of behavioural problems."

Yvonne Potter, head at Great Bentley Primary School, said she could understand Mrs Townsend's point of view and admitted the school did not have staff specialised in her son's condition.

However, she said they did everything they possibly could to meet his educational needs.

Mrs Potter said Mrs Townsend had been offered a new meeting with the education bosses where she hoped the matter could be resolved.

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