JUBILANT parents were celebrating today after winning their battle for Ribble Valley school places for their children.

Parents in Ribble Valley villages on the outskirts of Blackburn have been protesting since they were allocated secondary school places in Accrington, Rishton and Blackburn. They wanted their youngsters to go to the popular Ribblesdale and Bowland High Schools in Clitheroe instead.

They had been told by education bosses to accept the schools they were offered or educate their children out of their own pockets at home.

Education bosses blamed the problem on a scramble for places in Ribble Valley schools which received favourable Ofsted reports.

But parents said education bosses had been caught on the hop after a rush of house-building saw a dramatic increase in pupil numbers.

Now they have praised the Lancashire Evening Telegraph for highlighting their plight after education bosses revealed more places have been made available.

Jubilant mum Lorraine Lester, of Hollowhead Lane, Wilpshire, said son Adam was a different boy since hearing he had now been allocated a place at Ribblesdale.

He was one of several youngsters to have lost his appeal against being offered a place at Moorhead High School, Accrington, and faced a two-mile walk down an unlit track followed by two bus journeys for an 8.30am start.

Yet he has three step-siblings who leave the house 90 minutes later to attend a school on the Clitheroe bus route.

About half of the 35 Ribble Valley families caught up in the row lost appeals made to an independent panel in Accrington last month and were threatening to take their case to the Local Government Ombudsman. Mum Maureen Tattersall, of Showley Cottages, Clayton-le-Dale, was one of several threatening to keep her child off school rather than take up a place at Moorhead.

Daughter Sara also faced an early start and a long walk down an unlit track to catch buses to Accrington.

She said: "We are really pleased that Sara has finally been offered a place at Ribblesdale, but angry that we have been put through this."

Nigel Evans, who threatened to raise the matter in the House of Commons, said he was now concerned that the problem would repeat itself next year.

"I am absolutely delighted for the successful families, but unless the Lancashire Education Authority makes urgent preparations for next year then this whole problem will just happen again," he said.

A spokesman for the Lancashire County Council said a further nine places had been made available at Ribblesdale High following talks between education bosses and school governors.

"Following a review of admissions, it has been possible to admit all children who live in the priority area and expressed the school as their first choice. The school's governing body considered the situation very carefully and came to the view that the school's admission number could be raised," he said.

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