Parents back in battle for schooling (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Parents back in battle for schooling

Father-of-four Justin Oliver is fighting to get his youngest daughter into the same school as her brothers and sister.

Mr Oliver and his wife Tara tried for a year to get their son Liam, five, into Fynamore School after the family moved from Calne to Chippenham in 2002.

Their son Luke, aged eight, and Sophie, six, started going to the school when the family lived in Calne.

Mr Oliver, of Coniston Road, Chippenham, along with 13 other parents, is now battling with Wiltshire County Council to get four-year-old Shannon into the school.

Shannon has been offered a place at Ivy Lane School in Chippenham but Mr Oliver said he could not be in two places at once.

Another option would be for the Olivers to take the three children out of Fynamore and find a school where all four could be put together. But he feels this would be very disruptive particularly for his Luke, who suffers from dyslexia and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

His father said: "I am back to square one again. I am having dj vu. I was told it would not happen again and it has. It is absolutely ludicrous. Last year was a waste of time.

"We have been told round one of the appeal is in May. But what's the point, they didn't listen to us last time? I am having to fight the council all over again."

A spokesman for Wiltshire County Council said: "We have a policy that states school places should first be offered to children living within the catchment area before children who live further away.Unfortunately more children applied to start at Fynamore Primary School than there were places available for at the start of the new school year in September."