THE mother of a six-year-old boy with learning disabilities has vented her anger after his school’s head teacher refused him a special trip to Legoland.

Michelle Cooper, a mother-of-four, told how her youngest son Finlay, who suffers with Global Development Delay, was awarded the trip by Special Needs and Parents charity (Snap), which helps with his learning.

As a treat, and funded by the Brentwood Rotary Club, the Warley-based charity organises annual days out for disadvantaged children with this year’s being a trip to Legoland, Windsor.

Despite Benyon Primary School in South Ockendon refusing the absence, Miss Cooper and Finlay went on the trip on Wednesday, June 8.

Speaking from the coach en-route to the theme park, she said: “I wanted to go through the correct channels and not just pull a sickie.

“The charity wrote to the school explaining the trip, and asking for my son’s absence to be authorised.

“I don’t want a black mark against his attendance record – he has 99 per cent attendance.

“I feel hurt and upset and that the head teacher is being insensitive.”

The 44-year-old, who lives in South Ockendon, said she gave the school a letter from Snap asking for the trip to be granted on Monday, May 23.

After not hearing back from the school, she wrote another letter, which she learnt was refused after returning home from holiday in Bulgaria.

She continued: “Finlay loves Lego – it’s his favourite.

"He has Lego therapy at school and it really helps him.

“Learning the school wasn’t prepared to authorise the absence ruined the holiday.”

A spokesman from Snap said the charity had never had a school refuse leave since the Kids Big Day scheme was launched in 1990.

A spokesman for the school, said: "Benyon Primary School has not received any formal complaint in relation to this matter.

"The school takes parents’ concerns very seriously and has written to the parent to invite her to raise the matter through the school’s complaints procedure, in order that a proper resolution may be sought."