Families upset after being turned down for places at local school (From Witney Gazette)

Families upset after being turned down for places at local school

2:28pm Tuesday 6th March 2007 in Witney By Tim Hughes

PARENTS have been left 'disappointed and upset' after being denied places for their children at their village school.

At least six families in Minster Lovell are appealing to Oxfordshire County Council after being turned down for places at St Kenelm's School, the village primary.

All the families had listed St Kenelm's as their first choice. They were instead offered places at alternative schools in Witney and Burford.

Many of the children rejected for places at the school have lived in the village all their lives - including Patrick Bowl, who will be four next month.

His mother, Claire, 32, from Whitehall Close, said: "We are disappointed and upset. I live a five minute-walk from the school. The Government says you should walk to school, but we won't be able to. We'll have to drive. It will cause a massive inconvenience."

The mother-of-two has instead been offered a place at her second choice, West Witney Primary School, in Edington Road.

"Patrick is the fourth generation of this family to live in the village. My husband has lived here all his life, as have his parents, and his grandparents before them.

"Patrick has known the other children here since he was a baby. He went to Minster Lovell Toddler Group and Minster Lovell Play School, all to prepare him for going to school. But while his friends will be going to St Kenelm's, he won't."

Another villager, Michele Timms, from Burford Road, is having to send her four year-old daughter, Bethany, to Burford - four miles away.

She said: "A local school should be just that - local.

"These children have grown up together for four years. They know each other, have friends, and it's important they are kept together."

The headteacher of St Kenelm's School, Bob Alder, said: "We sympathise completely with the position these parents have found themselves in. Unfortunately, there are limits on numbers schools can receive into any one year group.

"However, matters of admission are controlled by Oxfordshire County Council, and are outside our control."

Oxfordshire County Council education officer, Neil Darlington said: "All primary schools are subject to the national class size regulations. These are intended to prevent any class - in which children who will be five, six, or seven are a majority - from being larger than 30.

"St Kenelm's admission number of 15 is intended to ensure that, as the children move through the school, they will not be taught in a class larger than 30.

"Twelve places were offered to those living in the designated area, who had siblings at the school, and three places were offered to those living in the designated area. Unfortunately, there were eight children who live in the designated area who could not be offered places at the school."