DISSATISFIED parents have appealed against Kirklees Council’s school place allocations.

All are unhappy at the decision to give a place for their child at a school other than their first choice.

A total of 53 families – 48 at secondary level and five at primary – have appealed to Kirklees Council.

They are unhappy with the school their child has been allocated with for year three, when children transfer from infant to junior school, and year seven, when they transfer from primary to secondary school.

New figures released by Kirklees Council show there was one appeal each for Fixby Junior and Infant School, Hanging Heaton CE (VC) Junior and Infant School, Headfield CE (C) Junior School, Lindley Junior School, and Reinwood Community Junior School.

For secondary school there was one appeal for Batley Girl’s High School – Visual Arts College, nine for Colne Valley High – A Specialist Arts College, three for Holmfirth High School, eight for King James’s, Almondbury, six for Royds Hall High School, nine for Salendine Nook High School, 11 for Spen Valley Sports College, and one for Whitechapel Middle School in Cleckheaton.

Figures released earlier this month by the council show that 144 children did not get a place at any of their first three choices.

And 751 children were not allocated their first-choice school in the latest round of admissions.

A total of 5,102 children were seeking a place at a secondary school in Kirklees.

Of these 4,351 were given their first choice, 483 got their second choice and 124 received their third choice allocation.

Parents had until March 22 to lodge an appeal against the decision and appeal hearings are to be held between May and July.

The hearings will be before panels including council officials and independent assessors.

Meanwhile, figures obtained from Kirklees Council under a Freedom of Information request by the Examiner show five schools had more first choice requests for places than places available.

These were: Colne Valley Specialist Arts College, Holmfirth High School, Mirfield Free Grammar School and King James’ Almondbury.

Heckmondwike Grammar School is a selective school where students need to pass an entrance exam.

There were 653 first choice applications for just 150 places although many of the applications were from families of children who would not qualify under the admission criteria.

The number of places available followed by the number of first choice applications:

All Saints Catholic College 200 114

Almondbury HighSchool 180 73

Batley Business College 175 48

Batley Girls' High School 210 148

Birkdale High School 152 29

Castle Hall School 17496

Colne Valley High/Arts 287 300

Earlsheaton Technology 180 144

Fartown High School 171 57

Heckmondwike Grammar 150 653

Holmfirth High School 260 269

Honley High School 264 226

King James's School 180 193

Moor End Technology 180 124

Nether Hall Learning High 131 93

Newsome High School 180 92

Royds Hall High School 172 142

Salendine Nook High 265 261

Spen Valley Sports 180 159

St John Fisher Catholic 198 192

Community Science/Thornhill 180 118

The Mirfield Free Grammar 221 223

Westborough High School 180 146

503 too many first choice applications

13 too many first choice applications

13 too many first choice applications

9 too many first choice applications

2 too many first choice applications