Parents Yvonne and Jeremy Sanderson are challenging Education Secretary David Blunkett in the High Court to let their son keep his place at a private boarding school.

Dyslexic Alastair Sanderson, 11, could be forced to leave the private King's School, in Ely, Cambridgeshire, after the Government scrapped the assisted places scheme for primary schoolchildren.

But Mr and Mrs Sanderson, of Exeter Road, Kidlington say Mr Blunkett promised them personally that Alastair would be allowed to stay at the school until his is 18.

The couple pay less than a fifth of the £10,000-a-year school fees thanks to the financial help they get under the assisted places scheme.

Mrs Sanderson said: "Alastair is dyslexic but he is very intelligent and is getting the best of help at King's School."

"The main issue is that a promise given by the Government that children offered assisted places will continue their education should not be broken. We have had a letter from Mr Blunkett saying that he will honour his promise."

Mr and Mrs Sanderson launched their case after Mr Blunkett decided not to exercise his discretion to allow their son to keep his place at the 800-pupil school. The Sandersons say they were given assurances that Alastair would be able to remain at the school throughout his secondary education until the age of 18.

A High Court judge heard on Friday that the Dep- artment of Education and Employment was now considering fresh material after the couple's submissions.

Mrs Sanderson's application for leave to apply for judicial review was ad- journed after Philip Engelman, for the family, said Mr Blunkett was 'redetermining' the case.

Pushpinder Saini, for the Education Secretary, said the redetermination was necessary because further material had been submitted by the family's solicitors and a decision would be made by June 26. He said it was not accepted the minister had done anything wrong. Alastair began at the school last September after being offered his place in February, 1997.

In September, 1997, the assisted places scheme, which paid for children who could not otherwise afford to attend private schools, was abolished. The Secretary of State was given discretion to continue to fund existing pupils.

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