RECEPTION class pupils could be forced to make ten-mile round trips each day to get to school.

Youngsters, aged four and five, are facing two hour treks – via foot and public transport – as a result of a shortage of primary school places in Levenshulme.

Alma Park on Chapel Street, and St Andrew’s CofE in Levenshulme and Acacias in Burnage are facing the worst crisis with no places currently available and one waiting list is reported to be as high as 60.

Parents living in Levenshulme say they would have to make four bus changes a day and have to endure 20 minute walks in daily return trips to the furthest school with available places in Higher Openshaw.

They have now set up their own campaign group, called Friends of Levenshulme Core Group Plus, to call for more school places to be made available closer to home. It comes as council bosses said they were working with school governing bodies to take urgent action to make more places available at local schools.

Parents say that the commute to Openshaw would be detrimental to toddlers many of whom are fresh out of nursery or playgroup.

They also claim that it would put enormous pressure on parents, some of whom would have to drop off their children prior to going to work themselves.

They are also demanding to know what would happen in the event of child sickness, a bus strike, road works, bad winter weather or general traffic delays.

Levenshulme councillor John Commons told the Reporter: "This admissions crisis with small children having to make a ten mile round trip is the worse scenario I have known in 20 years.

"I am shocked and dismayed that the council has failed, so far, children of such a young age."

More than 20 parents have petitioned the town hall’s education chiefs and local MP Sir Gerald Kaufman to set out their anxieties.

They want immediate action to be taken even if it means setting up mobile classrooms at schools.

Parents say they are unhappy at the distance to schools in Gorton, Abbey Hey and Higher Openshaw that are being offered as an alternative.

The latter is at least a four mile one way trek by car and about five miles by bus.

Mark Lupton is father of four-year-old Connie who is due to start primary school in September. He said "The alternatives are totally inappropriate."

Mark added: "We all applied last year for the schools of our choice and we found out in March that a large number of parents have not been able to get places."

"For many it will mean setting off before 7.30am with a small child, catching one bus into the city and another bus out.

"It is then a good ten minute walk to and from Ashton Old Road.

"On top of this, we have a reply from the executive member for children’s services, Councillor Sheila Newman, who claims to have a plan of action, but tells us nothing and shows us no sympathy or empathy. It is shocking.

"Everyone is distressed and stressed out over what should be an exciting time for our children."

Parents also claim that that Manchester’s schools admissions department has failed both to consult ‘distressed’ parents and to inform them of its strategies for resolving the problem that has also triggered something of a political rumpus.

In an email to the parents’ protest group, Coun Newman claimed the school places shortage was a city-wide problem. She was not available for comment as the Reporter went to press.

But John Edwards, deputy director Children’s Services at Manchester City Council, said: "We’re working with school governing bodies to take urgent action to meet immediate needs by making more places available at local schools and also to ensure that future needs are addressed as part of our primary place planning."