Dad demands answers after child denied school place with sibling

A young child has been denied a place at the school her older brother attends, and her stunned father wonders “how could this happen?”. Alex Price said he applied in time for his daughter, who will be four in August, to attend New Lubbesthorpe Primary School with her older sister in September.

The 38-year-old, who lives in Leicester Forest East, said they were told this week that his daughter had failed to secure a place at the school in Tay Road, Lubbesthorpe, and had been offered a second choice. He said she is ninth on a waiting list of 60 for the school.

The school’s local authority, Leicestershire County Council, said anyone can appeal if they have been refused a school place. They are also given an alternative seat if they are not satisfied with the lower preference allotted to them, the board added.

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Mr Price, who lives just outside the New Lubbesthorpe catchment area, told LeicestershireLive he now faces the prospect of taking – and raising – two children to separate schools at the same time; potentially, a child will have to leave early and miss out on education, he added. He said the siblings were part of the criteria that gave them preference over other children for the school, but with lower priority than being in the catchment area.

He also said he was confused after learning of another parent who had New Lubbesthorpe as their third choice, but they had got in and he didn’t understand how that could happen. He said he would appeal but felt his chances of success were “slim”.

He said: “Yesterday we were informed that our youngest daughter has failed to secure a place at school, leaving us with the prospect of having to pick up and drop off two children at two different schools at the same time. Obviously, an impossibility. .

“I understand this is a big problem at this school this year with many parents not getting a place. My daughter is number nine on the waiting list of 60 children trying to get a place at that school.

“It wasn’t long ago that Michael Gove visited the New Lubbesthorpe estate because it was seen as a flagship for other developments in the country, clearly they haven’t put the infrastructure in place to support that development, so I have to ask why what the. received this representation”.

A local authority spokesman said: “Leicestershire County Council does not comment on individual cases. New Lubbesthorpe Primary School has been successfully established as a mainstream school and can accommodate a maximum of 60 children per year group from reception onwards.

“Anyone who has been refused a school place has the right to appeal and is offered an alternative place if they are not satisfied with the lower preference they have been allocated.”

The school’s planning authority, Blaby District Council, has also been contacted for comment.