Identical twins Lexus and Amber Conway could face starting school a year apart as they were born an hour apart...but on different days.

The Conway twins were born three weeks prematurely. Lexus was born at 11.20pm on August 31, weighing 5lb 4oz. Amber however was born at 12.25am on September 1 after complications drove doctors at the Barratt Maternity Unit at Northampton General Hospital to perform a Caesarean section.

The twins' mother Sarah Conway, 37, said that she and her partner Ian Caldwell, 42, would move heaven and earth to make sure their twin daughters were taught together.

“There's no way you can have Amber sitting at home while Lexus starts school,” Ms Conway said. “It would be desperately unfair on her to be excluded whilst her twin has all the fun. Also, if one went to school and the other didn't, their development would be different. And on the practical side, I need to work. It would be a nightmare.

“We will do all we can to fight to ensure there's leniency and they go to the same school.”

Mr Caldwell, 42, who is a also a twin, said that they would either have the girls taught at home, or even move to Spain if they were unable to start primary school together.

The good news is that it is unlikely that such action will be necessary. Though local authorities are pretty strict about the August 31 cut-off date for school applications for individual children, they are bound by law to act in the best interests of each child. In this instance, they would almost certainly agree to make an exception so that the girls could remain in the same academic year.

A spokeswoman for Northamptonshire County Council said that when the time came for the girls to go to school, it would be willing to be flexible over the August 31 deadline. “Any decision made will be in the best interests of both children as well taking into consideration the wishes of the parents,” she said.

Full article on the Times website

More news items on the IdeasForTheKids.com news forum