THE nightmare faced by Swindon parents trying to get their children into the school of their choice could be over thanks to the new Education Secretary.

In her first speech since taking over from Charles Clarke, Ruth Kelly said at the North of England Education Conference in Manchester, that she was planning new laws to give parents a better chance of getting their children into their first choice school.

"I come to this as a parent as well as a politician feeling that every child is different but of equal worth and believing also that education is the route to an opportunity society," she said.

"Parents and children must be at the heart of what we do and how we think."

Parents in parts of Swindon - particularly North Swindon have struggled to get their children into oversubscribed schools in their catchment areas.

One of the solutions proposed by Ms Kelly is to give oversubscribed schools the right to expand, an idea which Coun Gary Perkins (Con, Shaw & Nine Elms), Swindon's lead member for education, believes is good in principle but may be difficult in practice.

He said: "The concept is great but putting it into practice is not simple at all.

"It can take up to seven years to expand a school.

"And there has to be a long term need for the school to be expanded.

"The site has to be large enough for the school to expand.

"And then there is the financial issue.

"To double the size of a primary school would cost around £2million and the Government would not provide any extra funding for this.

"It is down to us to find that funding.

"Of course parents should have better choice and schools should be able to expand but I hope that one day all schools will be good enough to stop this postcode lottery."

In 2003 Nicola Green, 32, failed to get her daughter Chelsey into her first choice school, Catherine Wayte primary, which is across the road from her home in Snowshill Close, Abbey Meads but was oversubscribed.

Instead Chelsey, five, was sent to Bridlewood School three quarters of a mile away.

Now Nicola hopes to get younger daughter Caitlin, three, a place at Bridlewood. But as it is out of her catchment area she has been told Caitlin will be low on the priority list.

Her best hope is Haydonleigh School three quarters of a mile away in the other direction.

Catherine Wayte School is now out of her catchment area as the boundaries have changed.

She said: "Saying things is different from doing things.

"It does sound good but I wonder how long it will take to happen.

"This situation is obviously very unfair.

"It causes families a lot of stress and some people have even moved to get into the right catchment area."

As well as addressing school places Ms Kelly said she would ensure that parents meet their responsibilities for how their children behave in school.

Coun Perkins said: "Parents should legally have to accept responsibility for everything that their child does inside and outside school.

"I am 150 per cent behind that."

Diana Milne