Mother’s anger as Batley Parish school place denied

Sarah Lockwood’s daughter Perissa Nolan attended the nursery at Batley Parish C of E Junior, Infant and Nursery school for two years and hoped to progress into its reception class.

Sarah moved into a new home within the school’s catchment area and has been attending services at Batley Parish Church with her two children for the last year.

But Sarah received a letter from Kirklees placing the four-year-old not at Batley Parish School, but at Purlwell Infant and Nursery school.

The school, in Purlwell Lane, Batley, is at the opposite side of town to Sarah’s home in Emerald Street, Carlinghow.

She listed St Mary’s Catholic Primary School and Batley Grammar School as her second and third choices after Batley Parish School, but was not offered a place for Perissa at any of them.

Sarah, who works at the Corner Cafe in Commercial Street, Batley, said having to drop Perissa off in Purlwell could affect her job. “I chose those schools so I could get to work. I have tried to do everything I can to get her a place at Batley Parish,” she said.

Perissa has now completed the nursery class at Batley Parish and is attending the Academy Child Care Centre, based at the Mill outlet, until the issue is resolved.

“I don’t want my child to be out of school this long,” she said. “I thought she’d be going with her friends into reception. She’s a bright kid, I don’t want her to lose the enthusiasm she has now.”

A spokeswoman for Kirklees Council said Sarah’s preferences had been fully taken into account. She said: “With regret however, all three schools are currently full in the relevant year group and this is the reason why a place has been allocated for her daughter at the nearest school to her home address where there is a school place available.”

She said Sarah has a right of appeal and there wass no automatic right of transfer from a nursery, early years or foundation stage unit into any year group at a school.