A HYNDBURN youngster has been given the best birthday present he could ever have wished for -- although many children his age would probably disagree.

Patrick Batt, who suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, was termed unschoolable by his own parents and has out of classes since last November.

But as a special present for his eleventh birthday this week he received the news that he can begin at Lakeside school, Ormskirk, on Monday.

Pat Batt, his mother, said: "We thought Patrick was unschoolable -- he is hard work and very hyperactive so we are on cloud nine now."

She says that Patrick was hyperactive as a very young child and she knew something was wrong when he was just 11-months-old, but he was not diagnosed with ADHD until he was four.

After leaving Broadlands nursery school in Blackburn, attempts were made to integrate him into a mainstream school with one-to-one tuition but this was unsuccessful and he was sent to Broadfield Special Needs School, Oswaldtwistle.

His behavioural problems meant that he was excluded for a week within his first two months and permanently excluded at the age of seven.

Patrick then enrolled at Cribden House Special Needs School, Rawtenstall, but his parents removed him from the school two years later.

Following that he was sent to a residential school in Cumbria from which he was later excluded.

Pat, 38, who is registered disabled because of arthritis, was able to stay with Patrick at their Roe Greave Road home in Oswaldtwistle and taught him to read herself, but was anxious to return him to school for a proper education.

She and husband Andrew, 43, have two more children Rachel, 14, and Paul, seven, which added to the tension at home. She said: "It has been a real strain on the family but hopefully things can get back to normal now.

At Christmas Patrick told me he didn't want any presents just a new school and thankfully he got one in time for his birthday.

Patrick will travel to the school daily for his first fortnight and then a room will be found for him at Pontville Secondary Residential School which he will progress to shortly.

A Lancashire County Council spokesperson said: "We believe it is very important to find the right place for Patrick as we believe every child deserves a first class education to achieve everything they are capable of.

"Since he left Cribden House we have been working with the family to ensure he finds a place that is suitable for his education and have spent a number of months looking but had not found anywhere that proved to be suitable.

"We hope that this will prove to be suitable and will be reviewing the situation on a day to day basis because of the travelling involved to this private establishment."