THE parents of a little girl with quadriplegic cerebral palsy have been left devastated after being told her school is to close.

Emily and Toby Sinclair, of Clacton Road, Weeley, have been taking their daughter Alexia-Rose, aged 20 months, to the Dame Vera Lynn Trust School for Parents in Sproughton, near Ipswich, since November.

But they are distraught after the charity gave parents just two weeks’ notice it would close.

They have now backed an appeal launched to help save the school, which provides a specialist service for families of young children with cerebral palsy and other similar conditions.

Mrs Sinclair said: “Ever since Alexia has been going there, she has been like a different child. They do so much for her.

“She couldn’t lift her arms from her sides, but they have shown her how much she can do – she can now lift up her arms.

“Everything is done by music and sign language.

“If it shuts for good I don’t know what we will do. The trust’s other schools are three to four hours away.”

Staff hope to raise £80,000 to take over the site and keep the school going. They have also volunteered to work for free for a fortnight to see whether funds can be raised.

A spokesman for the charity said: “We are not a national charity with large reserves and despite our very best efforts we have been unable to meet the expenditure costs associated with the Suffolk service.”

He said the launch of the appeal means there is some hope it will remain open.

To donate to help save the school from closure, got to gofundme.com/lljtog