The 12-year-old mother who was `just experimenting'

A 12-year-old girl, believed to be Britain's youngest mother, received an "excellent" sex education at school, her local education authority said yesterday. The girl, from Poole, Dorset, fell pregnant at 11, while at primary school, and gave birth in April, two terms into her secondary education. The father is a 13-year-old boy who lives near her home.

She did not realise she was pregnant, according to reports, and was taken to see a doctor by her mother after complaining of stomach pains. Five days later, she gave birth to a 71b 4oz daughter. A relative said that the girl and her boyfriend were "just experimenting" with sex and that she had "no idea" of the consequences.

The girl was off school for six weeks and received home tuition. She is now back in class and, according to Poole borough council, "settling down well to her studies".

A spokeswoman for the council said that, while at primary school, she would have learnt about the mechanics of conception by the age of 10.

In a statement, the council said all its schools were regularly inspected to ensure they provided "effective" sex education. It said its teachers had been trained extensively, adding: "The Department for Education and Employment has reported that this training is excellent."

The girl, who gave birth by emergency Caesarean, has been quoted as saying: "My baby is gorgeous and I love her to bits. She has blonde curly hair and lovely blue eyes. My mum and dad have been great."

Her father described himself as a "proud granddad". "It's been difficult, but we are behind her," he said. "We don't care what others think. We are a close family and will get through it."

The girl's 36-year-old mother will be the baby's legal guardian until she reaches 16. The birth was registered when the baby was 22-days-old; the father is not named on the birth certificate.

Ann Weyman, chief executive of the Family Planning Association, said 12-year-old mothers were extremely rare, and that the number of teenage pregnancies was falling. A spokeswoman for Brook Advisory Centres said sex education in school needed to be more relevant to real life.