PARENTS at the centre of the Ribble Valley school places row are bracing themselves for appeal hearings at the end of the month.

Parents in outlying villages are protesting against plans to send their children to secondary schools in neighbouring boroughs. They have been up in arms since their children were offered school places in Accrington, Rishton and Blackburn.

They want their youngsters to go to the popular Ribblesdale and Bowland High Schools in Clitheroe instead.

And some have threatened to keep their children off school when the academic year starts in September.

An independent panel will hear 35 appeals for places at Ribble Valley schools at the Globe Centre, Accrington, on May 24 and 25.

Appeals for places at other popular schools in East Lancashire will be held on dates over the following weeks. Mum Maureen Tattersall, of Clayton-le-Dale, whose daughter was offered a place at Moorhead High School, Accrington, said she was keeping her fingers crossed that the appeals would be successful.

Her daughter is one of several in the village facing a long walk down an unlit track followed by three bus journeys to get to Accrington for an 8.30am start at Moorhead High.

"We are hopeful that we will win our appeals, but if not who knows what we will do.

"Apparently, we can appeal to the Secretary of State for Education, but that is not often successful. We still feel strongly that we are not prepared to send our children to Accrington and are standing by our request for schools in Clitheroe.

"We are just keeping our fingers crossed that our wishes are granted." A petition signed by more than 100 Ribble Valley parents will be presented to Lancashire County Council in July.

Education chiefs said a higher than usual number of children had applied to Ribble Valley schools. They advised parents unhappy with their allocated place to appeal to the independent committee.

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