A NORTH Swindon mum cannot understand why her four-year-old daughter has been refused a place at her local school.

Denise Follett, of St Andrew's Ridge, is desperate for Hollie to go to Bridlewood Primary School a five-minute walk from their house.

But Swindon Council has rejected the request and told the 36-year-old a place at the new Orchid Vale School, in Priory Vale, will be reserved instead.

Unhappy with the news Mrs Follett and her 37-year-old husband Martin, who works for Royal Mail, are appealing against the decision.

"We have lived here for seven years and we just expected Hollie would go to our local school around the corner," said Mrs Follett.

"We have neighbours with children going to the school who Hollie can play with."

Two years ago Mrs Follett went to the school to see if she could put Hollie's name on the waiting list.

She was told she was too early to do that but could register an interest in the school.

"Before Bridlewood was built I assumed Hollie would have to go to Abbey Meads but when the school was built I thought it would be perfect because it's so close and we don't even have to cross a road to get there," said Mrs Follett.

But the council wrote to the couple, who also have a six-month old son, Louis, to say they could offer them a place at Penhill Primary.

"I refused this for a number of reasons," said Mrs Follett. "The school has got a bad reputation, Hollie wouldn't know anyone there and it is a really long walk."

Since refusing this, the family have been told Hollie will have to go to Orchid Vale a new school being built in Priory Vale.

"I don't have a car and there are no direct buses that go to that area. We would have to go into town and then get on another bus to come back to North Swindon again," said Mrs Follett.

"The only way to get there is walking and it would take us an hour and we would have to negotiate four busy junctions on Thamesdown Drive.

"That seems ridiculous when the council are trying to promote safer routes to schools."

According to Mrs Follett the safest route would be from their house to Bridlewood.

She said: "Do they expect Hollie to have to walk an hour before school even starts in all weathers and then an hour back again when we have a really good school so close to us?

"Hollie is a little worrier and I don't think she would cope in a school where she doesn't know anyone.

"If she goes to Orchid Vale she will have no friends where we live.

"She keeps asking me if she will go to the school her friends are going to.

"She knows Bridlewood because we have tried to familiarise her with it to soften the blow of starting school. She will not know Orchid Vale or any children there.

"If the new schools in North Swindon had been better advertised then maybe some of the parents would have applied to them to free up some places at Bridlewood.

"I feel like I've been done an injustice and I just want common sense to prevail."

Swindon Council spokeswoman, Anne Glover, said: "Unfortunately the council is not always able to offer parents' preferred choices.

"In a situation where all three schools are oversubscribed parents can revise their preferences and also appeal against the decision.

"There is an appeal lodged but Orchid Vale was the revised choice of the parents."