Parents have been left "stressed" and "shocked" after finding out their children will be attending separate schools in September.
The majority of parents and school children have been offered their first choice of primary school or secondary school for September. But many who did not get their first choice are faced with the difficulty of balancing two sets of uniforms and two schools runs.
When allocating school places, the county council considers a number of factors including catchment area, whether the child has a sibling at the school, religion and additional educational needs.
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A father who wishes to remain anonymous is appealing the decision for his son to be sent to a different primary school to his daughter.
The siblings are just one year apart, and the daughter is in reception at a school in West Oxfordshire. However, despite only living a few metres away from the catchment boarder, the son has been placed in a school in the Botley area.
The father said: “They will spend six years at the primary school, and it seems crazy to send them in two different directions. We have been numb, absolutely shocked.”
The parents did not expect there to be an issue with getting into the same school and only put one school as an option.
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He added: “We do not know what to do. I have epilepsy so I don’t drive, and we both work full time, so how are we going to get two children in two directions at the same time. You can’t get buses between the two schools quick enough it is just impossible.”
Mother of two Dwan Painting said she is feeling stressed after finding out her daughter did not get into the same secondary school as her son.
Mrs Painting who lives in Wootton, Abingdon, explained she already had a son at John Mason School so only put that secondary school as her daughter’s choice. However, her daughter has instead been allocated a place at Fitzharrys School.
She said: “She has been given a school that isn’t far from the other school, but it is the fact that I will have to juggle two different lots of uniform and inset days.”
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The parent has rejected the offer on the school and feels siblings should be placed in the same schools and that this should be considered before catchment areas.
She added that her daughter does not have any friends at the school she has been offered.
Mrs Painting said: “I am not sure what will happen if John Mason still does not have any places. It’s just very sad and stressful.”
She added: “I am just keeping my fingers and toes crossed that some spaces become available.”
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