Insiders claim St Mary's CofE Combined School in Fairford Leys is already teaching children in every space available.

However last week, following a number of appeals over admissions, the school was forced to accept extra students - allegedly putting it under unacceptable financial and staffing pressures.

During the original admissions process, Bucks County Council calculated the distance each potential child lived from the school gate, using the myriad of roads and footpaths that criss-cross the estate.

However, some routes were overlooked (despite critics claiming one path has existed for seven years) allowing three families to win their appeals - and places at the already over-subscribed St Mary's.

The school has no doubt where the blame lies, claiming Coldharbour Parish Council provided the County Council's admissions department with up-to-date maps two years ago, showing all paths and roads.

Now, chairman of St Mary's governing body, Adam Thompson, has said this "mistake" has left the school in a difficult position financially and practically.

"Two years ago the county council said it would never make the same mistake again. Three months ago we had a meeting with Andrew Tusting and Debbie Munday (BCC education officers) and she pointed out they made a mistake and said we would never make it again.

"For us the extra children have a big implication going forward. We have to follow Government guidelines to have no more than 30 children in a class with one teacher. By allowing the appeals to go through it means it then has an impact on staffing levels, on teaching and also on children in that class.

"You have got the standard of education and the financial implications. Three children is a lot when classrooms are designed for 30 pupils and that's with the size of the shared area." This is the area outside the classrooms and most St Mary's classes are overflowing into them.

Mr Thompson went on: "If you imagine each child comes with a back pack of money - we don't get that money until the end of the term they turn five. If they are born in June that could mean waiting a whole year.

"This year we will have to have a new teaching assistant but next year it will cost a new teacher (about £25,000). We don't have the teaching space to put them in so we would have two teachers in one classroom. County said it would never happen again and it has, so we blame county for what's happened."

Marion Clayton, cabinet member for achievement and learning, insisted the footpaths at the centre of the problem had only recently come to the attention of the council.

"In any new development there will always be a possibility of footpaths coming into use that we are not yet aware of – we try to account for this by asking parents to check with us if they suspect a useable footpath or road may not be on our database."

She continued: "I understand the difficulties it has raised for the school. The appeals panels are independent and the findings are binding with the school, council and parents.

"The Key Stage 1 legislation is quite clear. It puts schools in a difficult position, but I am sure the appeals panel took that into account. What they need to do is approach the schools forum. It might help on the financial front.

"We will find a solution to the situation in Fairford Leys. I have made that commitment to the residents."

Distance to school or the 'shortest appropriate route' is just one of the admission rules used to decide which children should be offered places in primary schools.

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