A SECOND pupil has missed a month of school due to a ‘lack of spaces’ available, the council allegedly said.

Kirsty Bone, who recently moved from Banbury to Oxford, applied to three different schools for her daughter in August but still has not been provided a space despite term started a month ago.

This comes as the Oxford Mail reported about a young boy from Wantage who also missed three weeks of school until Oxfordshire County Council, the education authority, allocated him a spot.

READ MORE: Young boy misses three weeks of school after council fails to allocate him

However, the school allocated was different to his elder brother and presented issues for the family commuting in the morning.

Miss Bone said the education board is ‘failing children’ across Oxfordshire as she is struggling to find a school space for her daughter who was due to start year eight.

“We moved to Oxford to be closer to family for more support,” Miss Bone said. “In August I applied for three different schools but by September 5 I still hadn’t heard anything.

“I called the council who told me they had an increase in application forms and to call back in a week.

“That was when I was told Wheatley Park School and The Swan School had no spaces and we were waiting for The Cherwell School to see if there were available places.

“Closer to the start of term I said, ‘What’s happening? Will I get a space as I’ve had no emails, no letters and no correspondence’.

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“I decided to call The Cherwell School but was told they had no record of my daughters name so I phoned the council again and it was very backwards and forwards.”

Miss Bone was eventually told her daughter had been placed on a waiting list for the Marston Ferry Road school and no positions were available for her daughter for the start of term.

She asked if the council could arrange transport to her daughter’s previous school in Banbury so she wouldn’t miss the start of term but was told the authority couldn’t fund it.

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing,” said Miss Bone. “My daughter has been very anxious, her anxiety is hitting the roof.

“We’re also I the process of see if she has ADHD so it has been difficult. She asks if she can go to school and I wish I could take her.

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“I have even asked Cherwell School for some year eight work for her so she doesn’t fall behind but they said no as she isn’t registered.”

Oxfordshire County Council has been asked for a comment.

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Read more from this author

This story was written by Gee Harland. She joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.

Gee covers Wallingford, Wantage and Didcot.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland

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