A COUNCILLOR has called for a review of Banbury’s schools after it emerged pupils may have to travel to Bicester for their secondary education.

Kieron Mallon will meet with Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for schools and head teachers to demand admission problems are sorted out.

The move comes after furious families contacted the Banbury Cake after their children were turned down for schools in Banbury and instead offered places about 17 miles away.

The council has confirmed 19 children from Banbury have been allocated to Bicester Community College.

But of those, ten parents stated one preference which was outside the county border, and others listed only two schools — parents are asked to make three choices.

Paul Donnelly, 34, and wife Rebecca wanted daughter Lauren Dumbleton, 11, to follow her siblings, James Cadd and Shannon Dumbleton, to North Oxfordshire Academy. He said: “It’s crazy. What’s it coming to when my daughter can’t go to school up the road. Why has she been the one to be excluded.

“We want our daughter to go to North Oxfordshire Academy, our other daughter is doing really well there “Someone is not doing their job properly if there are not enough spaces for children in Banbury. The buck has got to stop somewhere.”

Gisele Ajavon, whose son Hayden Colombo, 11, has also been allocated to Bicester, said: “In the letter it said there are no places in any other school in Banbury and the nearest is Bicester.

“I have tried to talk to my son about the positive sides that he won’t have to walk to school.”

Banbury has four secondary schools, Banbury School, North Oxfordshire Academy, Blessed George Napier — a Catholic school, and Warriner in nearby Bloxham. Forms sent to parents last September asked them to list three preferences — places are then allocated by how close children live to the school, if siblings already attend, and religion.

Mr Mallon said: “It’s outrageous that Banbury pupils may have to be taxied to Bicester.

“This year pupils have fallen foul of the system.

“I’m asking councillor Michael Waine and county officers for an immediate review and to visit secondary schools in Banbury with me to try to sort this problem out.”

He urged parents to accept places children had been allocated, but lodge an appeal.

Mr Waine said: “I’m totally sympathetic with parents, but we have to have an objective criteria to follow and that criteria has to be fair for all.

“This Banbury situation does underline the case if parents want to have children placed in an Oxfordshire school they are mistaken in thinking a single preference will get them where they want to go.”

He said final decisions would be made at the end of the month and it was likely more places would become available in Banbury schools.