A CLASS of children with learning difficulties was left without a qualified teacher for almost a year.

Lisa Mills' five-year-old son Robert attends the Specialist Opportunity Unit (SOU) at Midfield Primary School in Orpington.

The unit teaches three classes of children aged between four and 11 years old, each led by a teacher and two classroom assistants.

But Robert's teacher has been signed off sick since last October leaving the children in the care of assistants for the remainder of the school year.

Mrs Mills said: "Robert has been teacherless since October. I have a legal duty to make sure he goes to school, why isn't there a legal duty to ensure he has a teacher?"

The school admitted it had trouble recruiting temporary cover during the teacher's illness but Mrs Mills, a pre-school assistant, feels the blame lies with the Local Education Authority (LEA).

The mother-of-two said: "The head is doing everything he can to get cover but these children are vulnerable. The LEA should have a pool of teachers for these situations."

Headteacher Jim Howard said: "I share Mrs Mills' worries but I don't think the children are suffering.

"A teaching assistant is working under the direction of another teacher and the LEA visits regularly."

Kathy Duggan, national executive member of the teaching union NASUWT for inner London, said: "The onus is on the school to adequately provide for the children. It sounds like inefficient management and a workload issue for other staff."

A spokesperson for the LEA said: "We are proud of our classroom assistants and where they are supporting children with special educational needs, they are always working under the supervision of a qualified teacher."

The school has secured cover for the September term.