A mum claims she was told to send her four-year-old son to school in a taxi on his own.

Fartown mother of three Lisa Patten says it was one suggestion made by an employee in Kirklees school admissions office in a row over school places.

Ms Patten’s struggle to get son Aron, four, into Birkby Infant and Nursery School is a cautionary tale for all parents who fail to get their application forms in on time, as pressure for first choice primary school places grows.

Lisa, 29, of Pollard Street, missed the January 15 deadline by more than two weeks. During that time and the previous four months, she was spending extended periods in Calderdale Royal Hospital with a difficult pregnancy.

Not long after the birth of her daughter Aleena, she was rushed back into hospital to have her gall bladder removed.

She was later distraught to hear that Aron had been refused a place at Birkby, where elder brother Eamon, eight, had been a pupil before moving on to Birkby Juniors. Instead he was offered a place at Rawthorpe St James two and a half miles away.

Lisa, who doesn’t drive did the Rawthorpe school run before the end of term to check the timings. Due to buses already being full, the one-way journey took her over an hour and a half.

She then attended an emotional appeal, breaking down in tears as she spoke of her difficult pregnancy and birth, after which Aleena was kept in Calderdale’s special care baby unit.

When her appeal was turned down, Lisa said: “I was genuinely shocked when my appeal was refused. I was phoning them nearly every day and then went to their office.

“The man was very polite and well spoken. He told me there were other options, and that I could home school Aron, but I am not a qualified teacher. He also said I could take Eamon out of Birkby Juniors and send him to Rawthorpe, or if they arranged transport, I could send Aron on his own in a taxi to Rawthorpe.

“His suggestions shocked me, I asked him if he would send a four-year-old on his own in a taxi. I feel I am being pushed into something I don’t want to do and I will fight for my son.”

Since speaking to a more senior employee, Lisa has been asked to provide medical evidence of her hospital stays, which may lead to Aron’s application being reconsidered as ‘on time’ by Kirklees.

A Kirklees Council spokesman said: “We want all of our children and young people to have a successful education and encourage parents and carers to express their preferences for places that best suit their children through the School Admissions system.  Every year we urge parents to apply for school places before the closing dates ( October 31 for applications for secondary school and 15 January for applications for primary school) so that they stand the best chance of being allocated a school place that they prefer.

 Where a parent has not been able to secure a place at their preference school, the Council will continue to work with the family to explain the full range of options that are available to them in order that they can make a decision about what to do next. This can include providing information about other schools that have available places, as well as signposting to information about the help that may be available to families with school transport.

We can assure parents that we have not suggested that young children should travel to school unaccompanied and are sorry that Ms Patton believes this to be the case.  Ms Patton has been in contact with us in relation to a school place for her son and we will continue to offer appropriate advice and support."