Sir, As a family who are forced to drive over 100 miles a week to a primary school with places for our children, I am incredulous. Three years ago we were in exactly this situation and three years on nothing has changed.

Oxfordshire County Council has consistently refused to even acknowledge that there is a long-term problem in this area. OCC has to do what it is legally obliged to do and seek a long-term sustainable solution. “Bulge classes” have been the “solution” for at least three years of primary intake in Abingdon within the last five.

This is not a one-off.

Even more concerning is what happens when these “bulge” years need secondary school places?

OCC should be seeking to expand popular and successful schools in North Abingdon; not forcing people to join the traffic-clogged local roads on a school run.

In October 2012, an article in your newspaper reported OCC had £100m to invest in new schools and North Abingdon didn’t even make the list.

With 1,000 new houses proposed for this area something has to change.

My heart goes out to these poor families. I have signed the petition and wish them every success in their campaign. We have never been offered a place at any of the schools we were on the waiting list for, and all the appeals we made were unsuccessful. We refused the place we were offered at Thameside and managed to secure a place at a lovely and successful state primary school five miles from our home, but at least in the direction of Oxford.

Joanne Busson
Radley Road
Abingdon