An 11-year-old York boy is facing a five mile round trip to school after being rejected by two schools close to his home.

SCHOOL SADNESS: Traci Bunce, of Vyner Street, York, and her son Lee, aged 11, who has lost his appeal to attend a school closer to his home

Lee Bunce has been given a place at Burnholme Community College, despite his home in Vyner Street, off Haxby Road, being two-and-a-half miles away.

And his mother, Traci, now fears Lee will be isolated from his primary school friends whose applications to Huntington, Joseph Rowntree or Canon Lee schools have been accepted.

Traci said: "As far as I know he is the only person from this area ever to be sent to Burnholme Community College and he knows nobody there.

"We applied to Huntington, with Joseph Rowntree as the second choice, and I didn't think we would have a problem because all the kids from around here go there, but we were told sorry but they're both full.

"Now he is going to be totally alone when he starts school, while everybody else will know people from their primary schools, and I can't sleep at night for worrying about him."

Mrs Bunce has lost two appeals to the education authority to give him a place at a local school.

She said there is nothing she can do now except send him to Burnholme when the term starts in September.

"All his friends from school and at home are going to different schools and they might not even want to play with him if he goes somewhere else," she said.

"I hope he would make friends at Burnholme, but he won't be able to see them after school because he lives so far away.

"This has really upset him and he was in tears when I told him that the last appeal had failed. It makes you wonder whether the people who make these decisions consider the child."

Peter Rotherham, education officer for City of York Council, said: "It is always unpleasant when we are unable to provide parents with their preferred school.

"We are now in a position where 91 per cent of all children in York have got their first preference.

"Mrs Bunce has applied to two independent appeal panels both of which have felt her case to be insufficiently strong to warrant a place.

"The decision of the appeal panel is legally binding on the parents and the LEA."

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