AN academy trust has come under fire for claims it is ‘segregating’ pupils by sending new starters with special educational needs and disabilities to a school six miles away – but one inflammatory report has threatened to divide the entire community.

The Dean Trust told parents of children with special needs due to start at Ashton-on-Mersey school in September that they will be shipped six miles away to another one of its schools, Broadoak, in Partington, because of ‘limited resources’.

Parents hit out as they had not been consulted about the move, which they branded ‘discriminatory’, and said it could set a precedent for academies to make such decisions without the involvement of those affected.

However, the issue of inclusion and fight for parental choice was somewhat overshadowed by an incendiary report in a national newspaper.

In an article in May 29’s edition of The Sunday Times, reporter Robin Henry said that affected parents claimed the segregation will ‘in effect, ‘ghettoise’ their children from fellow pupils’.

The journalist also made reference to Broadoak as a ‘worse performing school’, saying it was located in one of the ‘most deprived areas in Greater Manchester’.

Partington residents took to social media to voice their disgust at their hometown being branded deprived by the Times, saying it was ‘mortifying’ and vowing to boycott the paper for ‘inflammatory’ use of language.

Justine Bailey, director of Trafford Parents Forum, which is supporting the parents, said that the word ‘ghetto’ had not and would never be used by either the forum or a parent and using insensitive language detracted from the real issue at hand.

“It is not about bashing Partington or the school, the issue is parental choice,” she added.

Trafford Labour leader Cllr Andrew Western, who has put his full support behind the affected parents, said he was ‘really disappointed’ that some media outlets chose to label Broadoak a 'ghetto' school.

“That sort of language is as inaccurate as it is damaging and only serves to inflame what is an already difficult situation,” he said.

“Having said that, this must not detract from the issue at hand, which is very straightforward. Ashton on Mersey have an obligation to provide an education to these children, and they are seeking to pass the buck. To single out children with SEND in this way is, to my mind, clearly discriminatory and the school needs to have an urgent rethink and get this mess sorted as quickly as possible."

Stretford and Urmston MP Kate Green said she has written to the Secretary of State for Education, Ashton on Mersey School and the Dean Trust to ‘demand answers on what exactly these plans mean for the affected families’.

She branded the Dean Trust’s handling of the situation ‘appalling’ and slammed the Sunday Times for its ‘ghetto’ slur.

She said: “I’m extremely concerned that parents don’t appear to have been consulted in advance about the plans for their children. Now their children will not be attending the school of their choice and parents are, naturally, annoyed and disappointed.

“I’m utterly opposed to segregating children with special educational needs away from other children as there's plenty of evidence that both disabled and non-disabled children frequently benefit from learning together.”

Trafford Council said it did not discuss individual cases regarding disputes about school places but that it always seek to work with parents of children with education healthcare plans to ensure they secure an appropriate place, suitable to a child's individual needs.

The spokesperson added: “Where the parent of a child with a draft educational healthcare plan expresses a preference for an academy in accordance with their legal entitlement under the Children and Families Act 2014, the council will name it in the final plan, unless, after consulting the school’s governing body, one of the statutory exceptions are made out.

“The Regional School Commissioner is responsible for ensuring all Academies continue to meet their statutory requirements.”

The Dean Trust did not comment when contacted by the Messenger.