PARENTS lodged 1,200 appeals against school places offered to their children in Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset, latest figures have revealed. 

Michelle and Stuart Amey lodged an appeal with Dorset County Council after their son, George, was refused a place at Mudeford Infants School despite his brother being a pupil there.

Michelle, who was undergoing treatment for cancer at the time, said: “It was very stressful. We had moved 200ft out of the catchment area and didn’t realise that would make a difference.

“Different schools have different rules and it would be a lot easier if they all did the same thing.”

After a long battle, George was finally allocated a place in June and Michelle said: “I would definitely encourage other parents to appeal because he got a place in the end and he is really happy there.”

Stevie Miller lodged an appeal with Dorset County Council to try and get her son and daughter together in the same school.

After moving into the area, she ended up with her son at Christchurch Junior School and her daughter at Burton Primary – and only five minutes to get from one school to another at drop off and pick up times.

Her appeal was unsuccessful and she said she found it a nerve-wracking experience.

“My husband and I went to the appeal, which was not very nice,” she said. “You felt as if you had done something wrong, it wasn’t a very nice feeling.

“”We were disappointed to lose the appeal but we didn’t pursue it any further because my daughter only has one year left before going to secondary school.

“I have developed a routine for drop off and pick ups but it is far from ideal.”

Cancer nurse Clare Scott lodged an appeal with Bournemouth Borough Council after her son was allocated a place at Heathlands School, four miles away from her home in West Way. She had applied for a place at either Epiphany, Queens Park or Moordown St John’s.

She was unsuccessful in her appeal but went on the waiting list at all her local schools and was eventually offered a place at Winton Primary, which she decided to accept.

She said: “The appeal was a bit daunting and I never really thought we had a chance.

“All we wanted was to get our son into a good school near to us. We were staggered when we get offered a place at Heathlands, I had never even heard of it.

“I don’t know what the answer is, maybe the council just need to be more aware. They know where the volume of children are.”