A mum claims her eight-year-old son beset by behavioural problems at school has been failed by the system.

Claire Bartlett, 33, of Marsden, says son Joe Baggley has been known to the authorities for four years.

But nothing has worked to tackle the root of his problems.

At times Joe’s pent-up anger explodes and he is almost impossible to control.

Staff at Marsden Junior School have been trained to physically restrain him.

Separated mum-of-two Claire told the Examiner that “multiple agencies” had been involved in her son’s case, but nothing had been resolved.

“Joe isn’t a bad lad, but he has all this anger inside him,” she said.

“So many different agencies have been involved he just seems to have fallen between them all.

“He is spending so much time outside class that his education is suffering and he has slipped behind other children.”

Claire, who also has a daughter Ellie, 11, believes her son has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and – if diagnosed – he would get the one-to-one support he needs.

She said: “My son is being failed by the system, which just isn’t working.

“Joe is nine in November and if he doesn’t get help soon to keep him in mainstream school his education will be lost.”

Joe has a social worker, an inclusion worker and a youth worker.

The council’s Primary Pupil Referral Service, Children’s and Young People’s Service, the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and the Parent Partnership have all been involved in his case.

Claire said her son’s behaviour was so bad she had been asked to go and collect him from school 10 times already this term.

She said she was unable to go more than 20 minutes away from school in case they rang.

Claire told how Joe was angry and aggressive towards other pupils and teachers.

He often climbed 20ft to the top of wall bars at school and tried to unclip them; he opens windows at school and climbs out and he hurt a girl when a pencil he threw caught her in the eye.

Marsden Junior School
Marsden Junior School

Last Friday Joe went missing on the school grounds for about two hours. He was eventually found hiding on an outbuilding roof.

Claire said: “Joe has been in the system for so long, but the system has failed him. I am dreading that one day I will get a phone call to say that he has hurt himself or hurt someone else.”

Claire said Joe’s behaviour in school had made her a hate figure in Marsden.

“It is horrible when people shun you in the street,” she said. “I want people to know I am doing everything I can.”

Claire said when children had behavioural problems the parents were often blamed.

“I have had my problems in the past, but I am not a bad mum,” she said.

“Ellie, my daughter, is completely different – articulate, bright and intelligent – and she has been disciplined and brought up in the same way.

“ADHD runs in my family and that is what I believe Joe has.

“Does it have to get to a crisis point before they help him?”

A Kirklees Council spokesman said: “Both the school and the local authority have worked a great deal with Joe and his family. It would not be appropriate for us to go into detail about the family circumstances, but we provide them with a wide range of support.

“The right level of support will continue, whatever it may be in the future.

“Our shared aim is to help Joe as much as possible in his education.

“From the school’s perspective, we know that the safety of Joe and all other children is treated with paramount importance.”