FAMILIES in Dorset will have higher priority in securing a place at their catchment junior school.

Dorset County Council has been given the go-ahead to amend its over-subscription criteria, giving priority to children living within a junior school’s catchment area who attend the recognised feeder infant school.

The changes were agreed by the Office of the Schools’ Adjudicator.

Catchment children at infant schools are not always able to transfer directly to the associated junior school. This is because of increasing birth-rates and people moving into the county.

The county council received complaints from parents who felt it was unfair that their children missed out on junior school places to those who lived nearer.

The Schools’ Adjudicator looked at admissions for children moving between infant and junior schools for Christchurch Infant and Junior, Mudeford Infant and Junior, Upton Infant and Junior and Wyke Regis Infant and Junior.

Toni Coombs, cabinet member for education at Dorset County Council, said: “It’s great that the adjudicator has supported both our, and local parents’ view that the criteria should be changed.

“Families can feel confident that children who are in catchment for a junior school, and attend the feeder infant school, will have a higher priority than catchment children who do not have a sibling or feeder school link.”

Cllr Margaret Phipps, member for the Commons division in Christchurch, has been supporting a number of families in her ward who had been affected by this issue.

She said: "I’m delighted with the adjudicator’s decision. Parents in my division managed to gather a 500-strong petition asking for those already in Christchurch Infant School to be given priority when places for Christchurch Junior are allocated.

“I’m very pleased that common sense has prevailed, and this is very good news."