ANXIOUS parents desperately waiting to find out where their child will go when a Wolverley special school shuts next month have slammed education chiefs after what they called a "shameful" U-turn left them hanging on over half-term.

Worried mums and dads - who fear the closure of Alexander Patterson School will put their children in totally inappropriate alternatives - accused county bosses of deliberately holding up the news of where the 30-plus pupils would go in September.

They were to be given the names of the schools by head teacher, Marilyn Calvert, once she had been told them at a meeting with Worcestershire County Council officers last Wednesday.

When the moment of truth arrived, however, with two parents waiting outside the meeting eager to find out, Mrs Calvert was told the LEA would be contacting parents directly.

She said: "The fact they waited till Wednesday (to tell me of the change of plan) is shameful, quite frankly."

The LEA has apologised to Mrs Calvert, who said it was agreed she would be telling parents at a meeting on May 5, three weeks earlier.

The head joined parents in accusing the county of "delaying tactics".

She said: "I think their whole motivation for sending the letters themselves is the parents would be informed in advance of half-term so then they get the letter in half-term. There won't be a full team at County Hall. Also, by the week after this, parents will, maybe, have calmed down."

It is the latest blow for parents already furious at the closure, brought about due to falling pupil numbers.

Mum, Kirsty Cramp, was so angry she rang County Hall and demanded to be told the placement, which, to her dismay, was not the one she had requested.

"I was quite nervous about it but thinking I would definitely know and to then be told, sorry, they have not been able to name the schools, was awful.

"I think they are trying to buy themselves more time to stop us doing something about it."

Jenny Oliver, who has a son at the school, said: "We have lost another week. It is another week of delays which we could do without.

"If they were to suggest something we don't feel is appropriate then we have to appeal or go to tribunal. How are we going to have enough time to appeal and fight against it?"

Many parents did not receive their letters until Tuesday, almost a week after they would have been told by the school.

A spokesman for the country council said the LEA would be able to give "much more information" to parents directly.

He said: "Since any parents with queries about the letters would have to contact us, rather than the school, it made sense for the letters to come from us so parents wouldn't have to wait until after half-term to discuss any concerns.

"We felt that it may have caused confusion if parents were receiving some information from the school and other information from us. By doing things this way, we have tried to tie a few different strands together to make a complicated process as clear as possible.

"We hope the slight delay hasn't caused any anxiety, but we're confident it's the best way overall."