A national organisation that speaks up for children in care has offered to support a talented foster girl whose local authority is blocking her efforts to take up a scholorship at a top public school.

Suzanne Turley's case yesterday attracted wide national media attention after her local authority Wrexham told her she would have to attend a local college even though she had managed to win a coveted place at the Prince of Wales's old school Gordonstoun.

The 16-year-old, is claiming that her council's decision is based on an anti-private schools ideology rather than considering her best interests.

National charity The Voice for the Child in Care (VCC) supported her in her fight to attend the prestigious Scottish boarding school.

It accused the council of not listening to the girl's views and suggested that because the teenager was obviously an able pupil, the council had already "ticked their box" as far as achieving Government set targets on her educational achievement.

The Department of Health's definition of success in this area is for a child in care to achieve one GSCE at any grade - something the VCC derides. Suzanne Turley is reported to have sat 11 GSCE's at her school in Wrexham this year.

But according to Government expectations of local authorities as corporate parents they should "be ambitious" for children in care and "encourage and support their efforts to get on and reach their potential whether through education, training or employment".

A spokeswoman for the VCC Lynn Breckenridge said what stood out in Suzanne's case was an apparent removal of choice. "Families would be able to support a child's educational choice. Why should it be any different because a child is in care?"

She added: "It would appear that this child is not being listened to."

Ms Breckenridge also pointed to the very poor educational outcomes of children in care. "The reality for many many young people in care is that they don't get support. Two thirds leave school with a single qualification. The shock I feel about that never goes away."

But on top of a lack of support is a culture of low expectation for looked-after children, backed up, says the VCC by the low baseline set by the Government on the educational achievement of children in care.

"They need just one GCSE at any grade. Practically all you need to do to get that is go in and write you name on the paper," said Ms Breckenridge.

The culture of low expectation was highlighted recently in a book published by the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering. A spokeswoman said BAAF could not comment on the Suzanne Turley case as it was not in possession of all the facts.

But she added that "having high expectations is a really important issue".

Susanna Cheal, of the Who Cares? Trust said: "This does not appear to be a prima facie case of the local authority discriminating against a person in foster care, rather they are applying a standard approach in all cases which may or may not be appropriate.

"They are presumably offering what they deem to be an equivalent option locally. I think lots of local authorities would behave in the same way.

"In providing opportunities for looked after children, local authorities are required to provide equal access to the same opportunities rather than 'superior' opportunities."

However she added: "I find myself asking is this about private versus state school education and the politics of that? If not, why can't her case be considered and at least be heard in relation to her 'best interests'?"

After meeting council leaders, Suzanne was today waiting to her hear their decision. She is said to be determined to win and is planning legal action if the final decision goes against her.

She is also said to have threatened to make herself homeless by signing out of council care so that she can bypass their decision.

A child law specialist has said that the teenager may be able to argue that Wrexham County Borough Council has a duty to promote the interests of the children it looks after and that on that basis they should not deny her the opportunity to go to Gordonstoun.

Professor Nigel Lowe of Cardiff University, told Western Mail: "The argument is not clear-cut but it might be worth a challenge to test the water."

Local authorities have been encouraged by the Government, through its Quality Protects programme to treat children in care as they would their own children.

Adoption-net yesterday asked Wrexham's director of social services, Malcolm Russell, (via the council's press office) if he would refuse a child of his own the chance of attending a top public school in favour of the local college. So far we have received no response to this query.

We have also received no answer to a question clarifying how the council's policy on the education of children in care tallies with Government objectives on improving the educational attainment of looked-after children.

A council statement on behalf of Mr Russell said: "We appreciate that there is public and media interest in this case, but we do not believe that it is in the best interests of the child to discuss this matter in detail in public.

"However, we are listening carefully to the strong views which Suzanne, her relatives and others have expressed about her Gordonstoun application.

"As part of that sensitive process, the Leader of the Council has today met with Suzanne as agreed with her last week. We have a strong reputation in Wrexham for listening to the views of children who we look after and will be coming to a conclusion on this matter shortly."

The VCC yesterday told Adoption-net that it would be prepared to advocate for Suzanne. "We could support her. Just following a council's complaints procedure is very difficult for children," said Ms Breckenridge.

As reported yesterday, Suzanne, whose dream is to run her own drama school, applied to £15,000-a-year school (pictured below) because of its outstanding reputation for drama.

Its drama and performing arts centre is renowned as one of the best in the UK. It sends annual productions to Edinburgh's Fringe Festival and last year toured America. A new £5m performing arts centre due to be built at the school next year.

She was awarded a two-year place after passing an entrance exam and two-day interview. Her grandparents are prepared to put their £20,000 life saving towards the £38,000 cost of the course. The school has agreed to find the remainder of the amount from bursaries.

But even though the Gordonstoun place would cost the Labour-controlled council nothing, it still refusing to let Suzanne take up the place arguing that her educational needs can be met locally and that it would be in her best interests to study at Yale further education college in Wrexham.

Suzanne's grandparents, John and Ida Turley, both retired teachers, have criticised the council. Mr Turley told the The Times: "There is a lot of bloody-mindedness going on at the council."

Suzanne has spent the past 18 months with foster parents because of "differences" with her parents.

Yesterday she told The Times: "My solicitor is looking into a number of options. It's causing great anxiety because my future is hanging in the balance."

Gordonstoun has described her as "outstanding" and has promised to keep her place open until the dispute has been resolved.

Mark Pyper, the headmaster, has written to the social services in support of her and, according to The Times the school has arranged for the head of its guardianship programme, a qualified foster carer, to look after Suzanne including offering her a home in the holidays and taking her back for visits to her family in Wales.

A spokeswoman for the National Assembley for Wales said they could not comment on the Turley case and that it was up to the local authority concerned to decide what action to take.

See also:

Council blocks foster girl's chance to attend public school