A MUM says her four-year-old son has been "forgotten" after he missed out on an invitation to apply for primary school – despite living only a minute walk away.
Frustrated mum Jade Drakeley said she started to panic when she realised she hadn't been notified to apply for a place for her son, Jack Johnson, 4.
Ms Drakeley, from Goole in the East Riding of Yorkshire called the local council but was told mailing lists are provided by other departments, and therefore "can be incomplete or out of date."
According to Hull Daily Mail, East Riding Council told her the system could not "capture every child" who is starting school.
Ms Drakeley is now worried she might need to send four-year-old Jack to schools located 20 or 40 minutes away, despite living a one-minute walk away from the school of her choice.
She told the outlet: "I didn't get notified about when I was meant to apply, and my childminder didn't get any information either.
"When my two other children were little I got an email telling me to apply, and so I thought I would be notified by the council again this time.
"I called them on Friday and was put through to pest control and then waste management. His dad went to the council offices and they said he was missed off their database.
"It seems he's just been forgotten.
She added that her first choice would have been the school of her other two children, Boothferry Primary School.
She has been told she needs to wait until May to find whether Jack has been accepted.
"I've since rung the head at the school I want him to go to, and he said they have 50 places and 48 confirmed, so it depends if anyone else has applied since I formally applied this weekend, "she continued.
"I won't find out until May though, so I will be worried in the meantime.
"My two other children excelled at Boothferry Primary, and he thinks he's going there.
"When we've picked up his big sister, we talk about how he will be going there when he starts and he's really excited."
She said that she was "really upset" with the situation and hasn't told her son the news yet.
"I was really upset about it all.
"The school is so close, and his childminder and my mum live on my street so it's convenient for us all.
"If he has to go to one of the other two schools, neither of them will be able to get him there, as my mum works nights and wouldn't get time, and my childminder already picks up at Boothferry Primary and can't be in two places at once."
"I haven't told Jack the bad news yet, I'm going to wait until I have the final decision."
A member of staff told Ms Drakeley in an e-mail: "Although letters are sent to a very large number of parents whose children are due to start school the following year about the need to apply for a school place, the information which forms the basis of our mailing lists is provided to us by other departments, both internal and external, and as a result can be incomplete or out of date and without any means to keep it updated.
"This means that the process will never capture every child who would be starting school and therefore it is not possible for the council to compel every East Riding resident parent/carer to apply at the appropriate time."
A spokesman for East Riding Council said: "While it is the responsibility of the parent/carer to ensure they make their application for a school place, the council does endeavour to contact families where we believe children of the relevant age group are resident.
"Unfortunately, there are families who are either not registered with an early years provider or are no longer resident at the same address on our records and therefore, despite our best efforts are not know to us or are not able to be contacted.
"Information is also provided for parents through the council's website as well as to schools and early years providers throughout the application period as well being publicised across the council's many social media platforms."
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