A MOTHER said she is ‘heartbroken’ after her youngest daughter was refused a place at the Stretford school her three older sisters attend – and said juggling the school run will be ‘impossible’.

Little Amelia Doyle, four, was one of the thousands of children across Trafford to find out what school they would be attending this September at the weekend.

With three children – Holly, 11, Poppy, nine, and Lilly-Ella, seven – already at Victoria Park Infant and Junior schools and Amelia currently in Victoria Park Infants’ nursery class, mum Clare Ryan thought Amelia’s place was a safe bet.

However, Clare, who named Victoria Park as her only choice on Amelia’s application, was shocked to find out that Amelia was given a place at St Hilda’s Church of England Primary School, in Old Trafford.

Victoria Park is under a half mile away from the family home in Lee Crescent, Stretford, and St Hilda’s C of E school is 1.3miles away – but in opposite directions.

“I can’t be in two places at one time,” said Clare, 29. “They all start around the same time and Victoria Infants ends at 3.10pm, Victoria juniors at 3.20pm and St Hilda’s 3.15pm. I just wouldn’t make it, it’s impossible, and it will look bad on me as a parent if I can’t get there.

“I’m heartbroken – any parent would want siblings to go to the same school. I thought maybe that infants was separate from juniors but the head teacher said that wasn’t the case, it all counted as one. I just don’t understand why this has happened, there’s never been a problem before.”

Clare said that she is appealing the decision and has put Amelia’s name down on the waiting list at Victoria Park – but she is 13th on the list, despite already attending the nursery and having three older siblings at the school.

“It’s just a matter of waiting now and we won’t find out until June or July,” she said. “The whole situation is just so stressful. My husband is disabled, he has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, so I have to look after him too. I don’t know what I am to do.”

Trafford Council said that 85 per cent – 2545 – children were offered their first choice of school for the September intake.

The council confirmed that while it would not comment on individual cases, local parents who are not happy with the school allocation their child has received have the right to appeal the decision.

The spokesperson said: “All appeals are considered carefully by an independent panel who will then make a final decision on the allocation.”