DOZENS of children could miss out on a place at Alsager School because their parents failed to apply in time.

Some 27 youngsters from Alsager or surrounding villages have not been allocated a place at the school for this September.

The local authority sends out application forms in November to all parents with children eligible for places.

However for the autumn 1999 intake it is believed forms relating to 27 primary school pupils were not received by the area education office or were received after the deadline.

Alsager School head David Black said the governors wished to make it clear neither they nor staff at the school played any part in the admissions procedure run by the local authority.

''Following the legal judgement in Rotherham in 1997 all parents must apply for a secondary school place for their child,'' he said.

''The school does all it can to make clear to potential applicants the importance of the local authority form, which is sent to parents in November.''

Parents who had not been allocated a place should appeal, he said, a process in which the school did not and could not play any part.

''The school governors wish affected parents every success with their appeals,'' he added. The deadline for appeals is March 2.

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