A WORRIED mum fears she will not be able to get her youngest son to school for the summer term.

By the time the final term starts Nicki Styles, of Pearl Road, Middleleaze, will have two children at one primary school and her third at another.

And she says the local education authority has told her to keep her youngest child, Brandon, off school for the final few weeks.

Ms Styles, a single mum to Bradley, seven, Krystal, six, and Brandon, five, is moving her children from Saltway Primary School to nearby Brookfield Primary School, ahead of Saltway's closure.

Ms Styles said: "I need all of the children to go to the same school. I've got to move out of my house in July and I don't know where in Swindon I'll be living.

"I will not be able to take them to different schools."

But, Brandon, who was born with a life-threatening metabolic disorder, cannot start at Brookfield until September. His condition affects only 28 other people in the country and he must take medication every six hours.

This means he needs constant support from a teaching assistant and the school will not have one until the autumn term.

Bradley and Krystal have to start at Brookfield on June 6. If they don't they will lose their places.

Ms Styles said: "I've been so upset. I'm worried. I just don't know how I can get all of them to school.

"I've got friends but they've got their own lives, I don't want to have to rely on them."

She added: "I'm angry about how this issue has been dealt with. The LEA said I could keep Brandon off school for the last few weeks of term until he can start at Brookfield. I don't want to do this. He's behind already and he'll fall even further behind if he misses any more classes."

Ms Styles works part-time in the Brookhouse Farm pub in Middleleaze. She said: "I might be able to get unpaid time off work to look after Brandon if he was at home but I can't afford to do that.

"I want the best for my children but I just feel that everything is being dictated to me and it's out of my control."

Garry Perkins, lead member for education at Swindon Council, said: "If there is a specific need the teaching assistant should go with the pupil. It's difficult to take on board the views from every parent in Swindon."

He added: "I wouldn't say keep your child off school. Every child should be in school. The last thing Ms Styles needs to do is to keep her son off school. It's now only a couple of weeks until the end of July. Perhaps Ms Styles could get her friends or neighbours to help."

Diana Milne