Family wins fight to keep Adam at his old school

Adam McQuillan: going back to his school

ACCIDENT victim Adam McQuillan is preparing for his return to mainstream education after his family won a fight against education bosses.

In September Adam (11) was told he must leave St Anne’s RC primary school in Greenacres and move up to secondary school. Education authority chiefs had decided the best place for him was New Bridge Special School in Hollinwood, where he could receive expert tuition.

But his family disagreed and appealed the decision, believing he would be better off with his friends..

Adam, then eight, suffered serious brain injury and multiple fractures in a road accident in September 2011. He spent 10 weeks in a coma and eight months in hospital before astounding doctors with his recovery and returning to school.

Adam, who has limited movement and speech, originally went to Kingfisher Special School, but against advice his mother, Anita Claxton, moved her son back to mainstream school - where she believes he thrived.

Anita vowed to appeal the decision to move him back to special education and even kept Adam off school for home tuition while the matter was resolved.

The family is now celebrating a tribunal’s decision to uphold the appeal. He can return to his primary school for six months and continue his education with his friends.

Adam’s mum Anita Claxton, of Queensway, Greenfield, said: “When I told Adam the great news, he was delighted. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted from us.

“This whole process has been very stressful.”

Adam has made strong progress in recent months and she hopes he will be able to walk more confidently when he returns to school.

She said: “Adam didn’t like being at special school in the past and he made much bigger improvements while in mainstream school.

“We were determined that we wouldn’t jeopardise his progress and wanted to do what he wanted.”