Teachers did not believe the child's educational needs would be met

Education Secretary Ruth Kelly was forced to intervene in the row and ordered Cummersdale Primary School near Carlisle to take the child.

This was despite protests from parents and teachers at the school that they could not cope with the boy.

But his future is now uncertain after the application was withdrawn.

Staff at the child's previous school, Great Orton Primary School, near Carlisle, kept a diary cataloguing his bad behaviour including assaults on teachers and intimidation of other pupils.

It is totally unfair to expect our school to take this child when other schools have turned him down Shaun Halfpenny, head teacher

But the decision to expel him from the school in February last year was overturned by an independent panel, although he has not been to school since.

For the past few months the boy has been taught in a special unit for expelled children.

Cumbria County Council wanted the boy to go to an ordinary school, but when Cummersdale - which has room for between eight and 10 students - refused, it asked the Education Secretary to intervene.

Genuine concerns

The boy's mother subsequently withdrew her application for the boy to go to Cummersdale leaving it undecided as to where the boy will be educated.

Governors said the school was full and that while experienced head teacher Shaun Halfpenny was off work following a triple heart bypass operation, the school could not cope with the boy's "challenging behaviour".

They also said they had genuine concerns about the safety of teachers and pupils.

A spokeswoman for the county council confirmed the mother had withdrawn her application, but said a school place would be found for the boy.

Mr Halfpenny had earlier said: "We are a popular and oversubscribed school.

"I was approached by the boy's grandmother and told her the school was full. I had no knowledge of the child's history at that stage.