In April 2013 my wife Emily had a very serious stroke. She was only 35 at the time, and our little girl Ella, was just 2. The stroke and a related degenerative nerve disorder have left Emily with severely limited speech, mobility and dexterity. The past couple of years have been terribly difficult but we have managed, helped greatly by family and friends, and we have felt lucky to live in Headington, Oxford, right next to fantastic neurology and rehabilitation centres. 

However when we came to apply for a school place for Ella, our location became a problem. The local school, St Andrews C of E Primary School, has been oversubscribed for years, and this year the situation was worse than ever. Ella was one of 41% of children living in the tiny catchment area to be refused a place, based on distance to the school gates. And because the next nearest school was also oversubscribed, and our third local choice was full too, we were refused a place at all three. Instead, we have been offered a place at a school a 25-35 minute drive away.

Like others, we had no choice but to appeal. Our grounds for appeal were of course the many limitations and pressures the stroke has placed on our lives. We explained that Ella’s relationship with her mum has suffered greatly since the stroke, and we have found that only by spending enough time together are they managing to rebuild the bonds. Emily would never be able to take part in Ella’s school life at such a distance, and because of the commute, Ella will spend far less time at home than would be possible if she were at a local school. We explained that, as carer and earner, I would find it extremely difficult to find two hours or more to take Ella to and from such a distant school, and while the council has offered taxis, travelling with strangers each day is just not a solution for a vulnerable 4 year-old who is already dealing with difficult circumstances at home. Finally, we explained that Ella and the family will be excluded from the community and support network surrounding the school, which we know will become increasingly important to us all as Ella grows up.

The appeal was supported by the Right Honourable Andrew Smith MP, our City Councillors, our County Councillor, three NHS doctors and an NHS psychologist.

It has been refused.

We do not blame the officials, who seemed almost as mortified by the process as we were. We blame the inhumane rules they are forced to follow: rules that do not take account of disability within the family and that compel disadvantaged families to go to appeal to have their circumstances heard, only to find that the panel may only act within the very same rules. The school admissions system is admirably efficient and transparent in its handling of mainstream cases, but if it fails some of the most needy in our society, something is very wrong.

We are of course devastated, but we would like to use our experience to make a change. If, like us, you feel that it is wrong that school admissions and appeals rules make no provision for disability within the family, please sign our petition and share it with others.

We also hope that by making our case public we will raise awareness of the desperate need for school places in our local area, and encourage community leaders and Oxfordshire County Council to plan urgently for the future.