Ref: 76607-17TWO Swindon mothers whose children have both lost out on a place in all three of their chosen primary schools say they will fight the council's decision.

Amanda Huggins and Wendy Nicholls, both of Abbey Meads, North Swindon, are furious that Swindon Council has instead allocated a place for their children at Penhill Primary School a 30-minute walk from where they live.

When listing their preferences last December, both mums put Catherine Wayte Primary School as their first choice, Abbey Meads Primary as their second and Haydonleigh as their third.

But neither of them expected to have all three choices rejected.

Amanda, 29, is a full-time mum of four-year-old Jake and lives in Holliday Close, with husband Andrew, 29 a sales manager and her other son Ryan, one.

She said: "We live so close to Catherine Wayte School that we can hear the children playing in the playground.

"Yet we're being told that Jake has been found a place in Penhill which is a half-hour walk away.

"Penhill is not a good area and in winter it's dark by four o'clock, which is when we'd be walking home.

"It would be a lot better for Jake if he can go to a school that's close to us so he can meet children from the local area.

"If he does go to Penhill it will probably mean Ryan will end up there too."

Wendy, 35 of Wynwards Road, lives just 300m from Catherine Wayte School and her four-year-old daughter Leigh attends the neighbouring Jigsaw nursery, which also runs breakfast and after school clubs.

As Wendy, a training manager, and husband Paul, 39, a manager at DFS, both work full-time they had hoped their daughter could go to Catherine Wayte so she could continue attending Jigsaw before and after school.

Wendy said: "I'm really disappointed by this to be honest. Leigh has been at Jigsaw since she was four months old and most of her friends from there are going to Catherine Wayte.

"Now we're going to have to find her a childminder who can walk her to Penhill every morning then pick her up in the afternoon.

"It's just ridiculously bad planning that so many houses have been built here but there are not enough school places for the children.

"We want her to go to an Abbey Meads school with Abbey Meads children.

"I am determined that she will not go to school in Penhill.

"We are now going to try to find her a place at a school in West Swindon."

Historically, north Swindon parents have had problems getting their primary school of their choice as the schools there are so oversubscribed.

North Swindon Parents Education Lobby won a battle with the council last month.

It persuaded the council to create one big north Swindon catchment area, instead of five mini-catchment areas for each school, for September 2006 and to have an extra 27 places at Bridlewood School.

However, Amanda and Wendy had to state their choices by last December so would not have known about the extra places at Bridlewood.

Both children are now on the waiting list for Catherine Wayte School.

A Swindon Council spokesman said: "We would encourage these parents to contact the education department.

"Every effort will be made to find an alternative.

"Parents have a right of appeal they can be put on a waiting list for other schools and there are other options to explore."

The education department telephone number is 01793 465764.

Diana Milne