A GRANDMOTHER has come out fighting in a bid to get better speech therapy provision for students who she claims are "being left behind" at a Neath school.

Mary Welsh believes the 21 pupils in need of the service at Cwrt Sart School, Briton Ferry, have lost out since the speech therapist left last year.

In the meantime the authorities have only provided one morning of therapy every week, instead of several.

"It's just not good enough," said Mrs Welsh.

"My grandson Christian will be 15 next year and will be starting his GCSEs and he needs the speech therapy.

"I want the best for him, but this isn't just about him. There are 20 other pupils in need of this service.

"We want a meeting with the health board and the local education authority (LEA), but we've struggled.

"We kept being told they couldn't meet with parents for reasons of data protection, but we don't want personal information about anybody, we just want to get to the bottom of what's going in.

"We want a new permanent teacher and more than one morning a week. The youngsters are being left behind and this is a crucial time for them."

Mrs Welsh, aged 71, from Delffordd, Rhos, Pontardawe, added: "Christian's mother and I are fed up.

"We were not even informed until February that the speech therapist had left.

"We are not criticising the school, they do a marvellous job, but the council needs to act faster."

The provision of the speech therapist is the responsibility of the LEA and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board (ABM).

Mrs Welsh said the authorities had finally agreed to meet with families tomorrow, but not altogether as requested.

A spokesman for ABM said: "All children who need support have a Speech and Language (SaL) programme — detailed by the therapist — which is being implemented by highly qualified Speech and Language teachers and support staff.

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"To provide ongoing feedback, families have been invited to meet with various representatives to discuss in more detail their individual children's care needs and how these are being met at the school."

Head of Support Services and Commissioning at Neath Port Talbot Council, Andrew Thomas said: "The speech and language therapist retired in February.

"As an interim measure the education, leisure and lifelong service has deployed its own speech and language therapist in the school for one day a week since the summer term 2009.

"The local health board advertised the vacant post in November and the recruitment process is under way.

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"All the children in the learning support centre for children with speech and language difficulties have ongoing access to specialist teaching from teachers qualified and experienced in teaching children with speech, language and communication difficulties.

"Teaching and support staff in the school deliver speech and language programmes as an intrinsic part of the curriculum."

helen.keates@swwmedia.co.uk