A report on how the rise in the number of academies could see more county children turned away from popular primary schools makes worrying reading.

Under Government reforms, academy schools would no longer be obliged to provide extra places if their heads and governors did not want to help the wider community.

At present, Oxfordshire County Council has the ability to make schools to take extra places.

But parents, councillors and the National Union of Teachers have all expressed concerns that the situation in Oxfordshire which is already problematic, could worsen The reforms point to a dilemma at the heart of public services if power is devolved to a local level.

Of course, governors may be all for expanding their school, so local children have the best chance of a good education, or to be with their siblings in a setting that reflects their family’s faith.

But others may not be so keen and could use their veto to effectively push the problem somewhere else.

This risks making Oxford’s primary school places shortages even worse in years to come. We urge headteachers and governors to consider the wider implications when making such decisions — to do so without considering the wider picture risks affecting thousands of families.