A MOTHER has threatened to take her daughter out of the education system if she is not given the high school place she requested.

Single mum Adele Lally, 31, of Kennett Drive, Leyland, says she will be forced to give up her full-time job if her daughter does not go to Worden High.

The mum-of-one has slammed education chiefs who, she believes, have not taken her daughter's high school application seriously enough.

Now she is planning to appeal against Lancashire County Council's decision to send her ten-year-old daughter Ashley Garner to Walton-le-Dale High School, in Brindle Road, Bamber Bridge, Preston.

"If this decision stands Ashley will not be going to school," said Adele, who works from 8.30am till 5pm as a catering assistant at Leyland Trucks, in Farington.

"I will not be taking her to Walton-le-Dale. She'll go to a Leyland school."

After sending in an application for a place at Worden High School, Westfield Drive, Leyland, last year, Adele was confident that her only preference out of three would be met.

On the form she explained that her younger brother -- Ashley's uncle -- was already attending Worden in Y10 and would be responsible for taking her daughter to his mother's house where she would be looked after until Adele came home from work.

Despite being a single mum for the past six years Adele says she is determined not to bring up her child on state benefits and is proud of being able to stand on her own two feet. "I've worked far too hard for this to pack it up at this stage," said Adele. "This is really affecting Ashley, she's worried that she's going to lose her friends and have to go to a place she doesn't know.

"Don't they look at the reasons parents give for why they want their child to go to a certain school.

"I don't know how they came to the conclusion that they could send a first year child to a school which is miles away. To get to Walton-le-Dale Ashley would have to get two buses which only run once an hour.

"She's only ten. I wouldn't trust her to go to Leyland on her own, never mind Walton-le-Dale."

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said this year more than 90 per cent of families in Lancashire got their first preference out of three on the form.

He added: "Unfortunately, when a school is full, it is not possible to find unlimited additional places.

"Our information booklet to parents gives a very good indication of the situation in previous years so that parents can make an informed choice.

"Unfortunately, we understand in this case all the preferences this parent selected were for schools that were full on first choices.

"That is why she has had to be offered the nearest available school with surplus places.

"We actively assist parents in making appeals to an independent panel if there are grounds for the case to be reassessed."

Farington councillor Mark Alcock is backing Adele's case and has pledge to do all he can to help Ashley secure a place at Worden High School.