A COUPLE are trying to persuade Cambridgeshire County Council to fund their daughter’s specialist education - four years after a successful battle for their son.

Steve and Karen Jones have been offered five hours’ extra support a week for their daughter Mollie in a mainstream school to help her catch up with classmates.

But they say she needs to go to a specialist school and are set to contest the decision.

Four years ago a similar battle ended in success for Mr and Mrs Jones, of Manea, when they won an appeal to send son Nathan to a specialist school in Cambridge.

Mrs Jones said: “A paediatrician who assessed Mollie recommended she has support all day, every day. If she doesn’t she will fall seriously behind in mainstream education.

“But we have been offered five teaching assistant hours a week - an hour a day.

“I didn’t want to go down this route again but I feel I’ve got no choice.”

Mollie, 11, is a Year 6 pupil at Manea Primary School and is due to move to Cromwell Community College, in Chatteris, in September.

Mr and Mrs Jones feel she should move instead to Holme Court in Cambridge, a school for dyslexic children aged seven to 13, the same school which Nathan now attends.

Mrs Jones said: “Mollie is worse than Nathan in every area except English where she is slightly better.

“I have proved that Holme Court works because Nathan is now a changed child, he has made unbelievable progress. It can do the same for Mollie.”

A county council spokesman said: “Mollie Jones’ case has been assessed thoroughly through the proper channels. We have agreed to issue a statement of special educational need and have determined that these needs can be met at a mainstream school.

“Mollie’s parents will also be notified of their right to appeal to a tribunal if they disagree with the decision.”