A DAD has set up a petition to get his daughter into a school “37 seconds away”, claiming she feels “displaced” at her current school.

Audrey Allen, a year 1 pupil, attends St Mark’s Primary School, a 45-minute walk away, and her parents are campaigning to get her a place at St Luke’s Primary School, which can be seen from their window.

Her dad, Sean, said: “The school is the first thing we see out of Audrey’s bedroom window, hearing and seeing the children play makes us feel excluded from our own community and unwelcome in our own home.

“Audrey feels displaced at St Mark’s. She used to cry. She has only two friends in her school and one left last week and I am fearful the other will follow.

“Audrey has no friends in the park because of her school situation, whereas her younger sister always sees her friends from nursery and plays with them at Winton Rec, this has made Audrey become shyer and feel alienated.

“Since February last year I have been trying to get her into that school. First of all, we were refused a place in reception because there were no spaces.

“We got asked if we want to be put on the waiting list, we got in touch before the deadline, and they never acknowledged it. We applied for her to be on the waiting list and in contention for a place in year 1, they never registered this.

“The school accepted a new pupil in Audrey’s year group after we appealed, just three days before the appeal hearings, this was ill-timed and cruel. It seems hopeless, especially when they respond to my appeal by telling me I can now apply for a place in year 3 ahead of September 2022.”

Sean, a teacher, said he is unable to work because he has to take his daughter to and from school ten times a week.

He added: “We wish for Audrey to feel safe at school and living less than 100 meters from the gate where children line up for school and seeing her house from the playground would certainly help her settle and adjust to life in the UK.”

Hannah Easthope, headteacher at St Luke’s Primary School, said: “All school admissions are processed in accordance with the requirements of the School Admissions Code 2014.

“The school is full in every year group and waiting lists are ordered according to the criteria laid out in the school’s admissions policy. If a place becomes available, then it is offered to the child at the top of the waiting list at that time.”