'How have twins been split? Something has gone wrong'

Parents hit out after children fail to get first choice secondary

- BY SUSAN NEWTON

THE transition from Primary School to secondary school is a huge part of a child's life - it's filled with anticipation, sometimes worry but mostly, excitement for the next chapter.

Often, children will attend the same secondary school as their friends who all live within the same catchment area.

Many parents will view this as a 'given' - their children will attend their local school for their secondary education, with bus travel available as part of our everyday busy lives.

But when this doesn't happen, it's understandably a huge frustration and, for certain situations, can be a huge detriment to their child's development.

In Rossendale, a number of families are facing this reality - their children have not been accepted into their first choice school that's often their most local.

This is because schools in the area have been oversubscribed, with more applicants than school places in Rossendale.

This means they will have to see their child travel for miles to get to another or they face giving up work and home schooling them instead.

One parent who faces this decision is Danuta Kokocki, who has lived in the Rossendale area for the past three years, knowing her family would be in the catchment area for Alder Grange School in Rawtenstall.

As her son, Teddy, is due to move onto secondary school education in September, Danuta didn't think there would be any issues, particularly as the other families in her immediate area had got themselves a place without hassle.

Applying to their chosen school on time, Danuta didn't think anything of it - until March, 3 this year, otherwise known as Offer Day.

The letter they received in the post stated her son had been offered Valley Leadership Academy in Bacup a school three bus rides away from their home.

"We were shocked," Danuta said. "We genuinely thought a mistake had been made here. We just couldn't get our heads around it."