While other children settle down to lessons, Tanya Lowry opens the school book her mother has bought her at the kitchen table.

It is a routine the 13-year-old has got used to in the two months since she moved to Swindon at the end of the summer.

The secondary schools nearest to her Stratton home have told Tanya they have no spare spaces and cannot accept her.

Her mother Michelle has now launched an appeal against Kingsdown School's decision not to take the teenager.

"I am tearing my hair out. The local education authority has told me I should be aware I am in the wrong because I am not sending Tanya to school but I am trying my hardest," she said.

"I am very worried about Tanya's education. She has missed out on so much it will be very difficult for her to settle in when she does get to school."

Tanya had previously been educated in Cornwall where she lived with her dad but, came to Swindon just a week before the autumn term.

Her mother, who works in customer services, tried Kingsdown and Headlands schools which are closest to her home but was told they were full.

Only Churchfields School in Old Walcot has spare places, but while this meets Government guidelines because it is within three miles of Tanya's home, Michelle says it would be too difficult for Tanya to get there.

She decided to appeal against Kingsdown's decision not to accept Tanya and a meeting was to take place on Monday night but was cancelled.

This has left Michelle increasingly frustrated and worried about her daughter's future. "No one will give Tanya homework because no one is responsible for her so I have just had to buy her some educational books," she said.

David Williams, headteacher at Kingsdown, said there is a widespread lack of school places in Swindon. "The school is full but the parent involved has every right to appeal," he said. "There is a problem in Swindon with schools being full and I have every sympathy with parents coming in to the town who have difficulty trying to get their child into a school."

In September this year a £1.2m extension to the school, covering a modern maths suite and two new science laboratories, was opened by mayor Arthur Archer. This enabled the comprehensive to increase its numbers by 186 to 1157.

Sue Pycroft, spokeswoman for Swindon Council, said: "Kingsdown is a foundation school which means the governors are the admitting authority so we cannot direct them to take a pupil. We have been able to offer a school, Churchfields, which has free places and fits in with Government guidelines of being within three miles on a safe walking route.

"The education welfare office is monitoring the situation and should the appeal be unsuccessful we will be working with the family as to what steps they take next. However, ultimately it is parents' responsibility to get their child into a school."