SIXTEEN families in Wolvercote have been told there is no room for their children at the local primary school.

The reception class at the primary school in First Turn has been filled with 30 pupils, leaving other villagers facing a drive to other schools, including North Kidlington Primary about four miles away.

Mum-of-two Alex Barratt, 35, of Lower Wolvercote, has been told there is no place for her daughter, Edith, four next month, in September.

She said: “This is devastating. Living in the village, with Edith in the pre-school, we thought she would get a place.

“We moved to Wolvercote about five years ago because it is a village with a strong community bond and a village school serving the children who live here.

“Wolvercote is making an effort to be a low-carbon village and I don’t want to have to drive my daughter four miles to Kidlington.”

Mrs Barratt said parents would try to appeal both as a group, and as individuals.

Headteacher Anna Ballance said: “Sixteen families in the Wolvercote area have been affected and I have great sympathy for them.

“The school is not enormous – there are 220 pupils here, including the nursery, and there are 30 places per year group.

“Ten of the families are from the village, while the others are from other parts of the catchment area.

“Some of the children affected are already at our nursery and this is a big shock for parents who expect their children to get into the village school.”

Jean Fooks, Liberal Democrat county councillor for Summertown and Wolvercote, said a baby boom had put pressure on primary school admissions in the area.

She said 44 pupils were refused a place for the reception year at Wolvercote Primary.

Of those, 25 chose the school as their first preference, including the 16 from the school catchment area.

About 100 people attended a meeting of the Wolvercote Commoners Committee on Wednesday night where appeal plans were discussed.

Committee secretary Andrew Burchardt said: “We don’t want Wolvercote to become a ghost village as far as children are concerned because families feel they have to leave.”

Michael Waine, Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for schools improvement, said the affected parents would be written to.

He continued: “We’ve created an extra 338 primary places to enable us to offer a place [in September] to every on-time applicant from Oxfordshire.

“More than 95 per cent of applicants have received one of their top three choices at primary.”