THE education of a seven-year-old boy is in limbo until governors meet in September to discuss his future after he was permanently excluded from Wilden First School.

Levi Hodgkins, of Wilden Top, will have to spend the summer holidays not knowing if he can return to school following the decision to exclude him, which was made on Tuesday last week after he hit a fellow pupil.

His mother, Dana, said she was angry that the board of governors would not be meeting until September 7 to consider the exclusion because of the upcoming school holidays, as she understood the board would normally have to meet within 15 days.

The 29-year-old said it was "heartbreaking" her son would have to wait seven weeks to hear if he could return with his classmates or if she would have to find him a place elsewhere.

The single parent, who will be able to appeal to the governors at the review, added: "I am very upset and unhappy about it. They are not following their own rules. It is Levi's education we are talking about. It should be sorted out as soon as possible."

She said he had had problems with his behaviour since he was a toddler and this had become worse at school a year ago, causing him to have disruptive outbursts in class.

The youngster has been taking medication called Risperdal since June to help control his mood swings and is being assessed by a paediatric consultant at Kidderminster Hospital, as well as a psychiatrist, to determine the cause of his problem.

Miss Hodgkins, who lives with her son in Watchtower Road, said she felt the decision was unfair, adding: "I'm not defending his behaviour, I never will. I know he is hard work but it is a medical condition and he can't help it. I think they should have considered this before making the decision.

"Behind his face there's goodness in this little boy. He is thoughtful and polite. He is always apologetic after one of his outbursts. He can do the work in school - it is just his behaviour that is the problem but now he has no education."

In a letter to Miss Hodgkins, headteacher, Joy White, stated the decision had "not been taken lightly" and was due to "persistent disruptive behaviour culminating in an act of violence against another pupil".

In April, Levi, who has been suspended twice since December for being disruptive, attended a referral unit at Sion Hill Middle School, where he received one-to-one tuition before returning to Wilden First at the beginning of June.

Miss Hodgkins said the experience had benefited him and, combined with the medication, had led to an improvement in his behaviour.

She added: "There has already been a huge difference in him. He is so much calmer. One of the teachers even said how his behaviour was much better and how they had got the 'old Levi' back.

"This was just a blip and they expelled him, just like that. Kids are kids - the two boys were playing together the next day and it was all forgotten.

"But now we don't know what's going to happen. I don't know if he will get a place at a mainstream school or will have to go to another referral unit. All I ask is that my child receives the help and support he needs and is given the education he is entitled to."

The school's headteacher said she did not want to comment, as it was an "internal school matter". The chairman of the school's governors, Tim Berry, said it would not be appropriate for him to comment.