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A builder's son has not been to lessons for six months because he was not allocated his first choice of school.

George Hatton, 12, was a pupil at Queen's Park Primary School, Park Street, Brighton, until July last year.

His parents, Nikki and Ken Hatton, applied to Longhill School, in Falmer Road, Rottingdean, last year and thought their son was in with a good chance of getting a place because his older brother Danny, 18, had been to the school and his cousin is also a pupil.

Mr Hatton, 57, of The Causeway, Brighton, said: "George suffers from asthma and has a cousin at the school and an aunt and uncle living nearby which means if he suffered an attack they could be there quickly.

"He also has friends there and the bus runs from the end of our road, right to the school."

The couple, who have another son Charlie, eight, received a rejection letter from Brighton and Hove City Council and were told George had been allocated a place at Falmer High School.

But Mr Hatton and his 41-year-old wife were not happy because their son would not know anyone there and the journey to school would involve taking two buses.

Mr Hatton said: "We went to appeal and were turned down so we said we would keep George at home and put him on the waiting list at Longhill."

The couple said they were told George was number 31 on the waiting list and when they phoned again he had gone up to number four. But they claim when they phoned again he had been moved down the list to number six.

George is currently being educated at home but his parents say the situation is not ideal.

Mr Hatton said: "We are doing the best we can. His only social life is when he plays for Peacehaven Football Club. He misses school and he wants to go. My wife was told he might not get in at all - so why put him on a waiting list?"

A council spokesman said: "It is not possible to predict what the chances are of Mr Hatton's son getting into Longhill as it would depend on variables such as other people leaving the school, dropping off the waiting list or joining it.

"His application for 2007 was processed under the old admissions system that had home to school distance as the tie-breaker' for oversubscribed schools.

"His address is a considerable distance from Longhill, outside the home to school distance measurements applied in recent years under the previous admissions system.

"They only put Longhill on the form but our admissions booklet specifically advises against listing the same school three times and makes clear that if you are not offered a place at that school you will be offered a place at the nearest school with an available place.

"Falmer High was offered, and is 700 metres closer to their home than Longhill."

ruth.lumley@theargus.co.uk

10:41am Thursday 27th March 2008

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