PARENTS have been left upset after being denied places for their children at their village school.

At least six families in Minster Lovell are lodging appeals after being turned down for St Kenelm's School.

All the families had listed it as their first choice. They were instead offered places at schools in Witney and Burford.

Many of the children rejected for places have lived in the village all their lives - including Patrick Bowl, who will be four next month.

His mother Claire, 32, from Whitehall Close, said: "We are disappointed and upset. I live a five minute-walk from the school."

The mother-of-two has instead been offered a place at her second choice, West Witney Primary School, in Edington Road.

"Patrick is the fourth generation of this family to live in the village," she said.

"My husband has lived here all his life, as have his parents, and his grandparents before them.

"Patrick has known the other children here since he was a baby. He went to Minster Lovell Toddler Group and Minster Lovell Play School, all to prepare him for going to school."

Another villager, Michele Timms, from Burford Road, is having to send her four year-old daughter Bethany, to Burford, four miles away.

She said: "A local school should be just that - local."

Oxfordshire County Council education officer Neil Darlington said: "There are only 15 places available at St Kenelm's School.

"All primary schools are subject to the national class size regulations. These are intended to prevent any class - in which children who will be five, six or seven are a majority - from being larger than 30.

"Twelve places were offered to those living in the designated area who had siblings at the school and three places were offered to those living in the designated area. Unfortunately eight children who live in the designated area could not be offered places."