Two 11-year-old pupils from York were today facing secondary school life away from all their junior school pals.

Tom Shaw outside Huntington School, where he has been denied a place

Tom Shaw is the only child out of 60 pupils in his year at Huntington Primary School who will not be going on to the neighbouring secondary school.

He has been allocated a place at another school - despite an appeal by his parents, Kenneth and Sally, against the decision.

And Kelly Lumley, a pupil at St Oswald's CE Primary School in Fulford, will not be going to Fulford School like all her friends after parents Gordon and Lynne also failed to win their appeal.

The Lumleys now plan to write to Education Secretary David Blunkett in protest.

Both children were allocated places at different secondary schools because they lived outside their preferred schools' catchment areas.

But both sets of parents said they hoped to win on appeal because of the effect the separation would have on their children.

Mr Shaw, of Muncastergate, said they had showed the panel a letter from Tom's GP warning that separating him from his friends could be detrimental to his health.

"We're flabbergasted that the system can do this to a child.

"Tom's very upset about it. I can't believe how he's going to be on the last day at primary school when everyone will be saying goodbye and looking forward to going to secondary school together - Tom will be so isolated, it's beyond belief."

Mr and Mrs Lumley, of Grange Street, said they had been gutted to lose their appeal, and Kelly had cried her eyes out.

Mrs Lumley said: "I can guarantee her education will be affected. It's so unfair.

They're ripping people's lives apart - they've no idea."

Meanwhile, parents of children at Fishergate and St George's RC Schools were today preparing for the next stage of their campaign to try to get places at Fulford School with a meeting tonight.

Some parents were successful in their appeals to get places at the school, arguing it was closer to home than the one they had been allocated, but others were not.

Clare Rowntree's son, Colin, 11, has been allocated a place at Archbishop Holgate CE School. He did not get in to Fulford on appeal.

She said: "It seems unfair when traditionally all children from this area have gone to Fulford.

"We're still campaigning. We want our children to go to the nearest school."

Assistant education director Liz Jones said a child's friends were not one of the criteria considered when the council allocated places and Government guidelines did not mention that they should be.

There were waiting lists for the schools in case more places became available.

She said the issues raised by the Fishergate and St George's parents would be looked at again when the appeals process finish at the end of this week.

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