Published: Thursday, 18th June, 2009 4:00pm

Mum fights to unite her sons

by Emma Harrison

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A DISTRESSED mum has called for a change in the law after her son was rejected from the school attended by his older brother.

Four-year-old Thomas Cooper is desperate to join his older brother, Jack, at Harmans Water Primary when he moves from nursery to 'big school" in September.

But Lisa Cooper of Willwood Road, Priestwood, has been told he does not qualify for a place.

Mrs Cooper said: 'It is very important to Thomas that he becomes a pupil at Harmans Water as he is a very shy, quiet and anxious little boy - he finds it difficult to mix outside his family unit.

'Over the last year at nursery he has adjusted very well and has tried to overcome his anxiety and shyness. He has grown in confidence and this has helped with his education and social skills.'

Cold-hearted education bosses at Bracknell Forest Council ruled that Thomas does not live in the right catchment area and have instead allocated him a place at Fox Hill - leaving him worried and upset about going to a new school without eight-year-old Jack to keep a brotherly eye on him.

The family moved in December 2005 sortly after Jack started at Harmans Water. they previously lived in Barn Close, Bullbrook, which is also not in the catchment area for Harmans Water.

Current admissions rules state that siblings are given priority for school places, except when the elder child doesn not live in the school's catchment area.

Mrs Cooper said: "The rules should definitely be changed. I've spoken to the council about this but they're just not interested, they're not budging.

"The actual school for our catchment area is Meadow vale, it would have been a lot easier for me to get there but they're not using any common sense.

"They should definitely give preferential treatment to children with brothers or sisters at the school already."

Mrs Cooper said Thomas"s behaviour has changed since the family"s application for the school in Wellington Drive was rejected.

She said: 'Thomas is not the happy little boy he had grown into.

'He is upset about having to go to a different school and thought it was because he had done something wrong.'

Mrs Cooper added: 'How can I be in two places at the same time without letting one child down? It is impossible, so one of my children will be late arriving at school in the morning and will have to leave early at the end of school daily. The boys are both getting anxious.'

Mrs Cooper has appealed against the decision and is hoping for a u-turn from the council at an appeal at Easthampstead House on Thursday, June 25.

David Watkins, chief officer for performance and resources, said: 'Bracknell Forest Council allocated first preference schools to 94 per cent of the 1,341 applications for primary school places for the next academic year. When allocating pupils to schools, our top criteria is always based on location, as we believe in local schools for local children.'