ANGRY parents claim a York nursery school's new admissions policy is "totally unfair".

Dozens of people who want their children to go to St Paul's Nursery, in Holgate, have been left disappointed because it is heavily oversubscribed.

As a result, City of York Council education chiefs have revised its admissions policy to give priority to four-year-olds - no matter where they live in the city.

This is because they will only have one year to spend at the nursery before they reach school age.

But the parents of three-year-olds living near the school say they are being forced to miss out, making way for those from further afield.

Christine Bramwell, from Holgate, said she was very disappointed.

She said: "I know of one parent who lives opposite the school, but her child can't go because their birthday is in May. The council are trying to get parents to walk their kids to school. But they are now allowing people to drive their kids in from as far away as Clifton and Elvington just because they are older.

"I can't see how they can justify it."

Nikki Witter, from Holgate, says her son Duke is being forced to miss out.

"The policy is completely unfair - it should be done on catchment area," she said. "A lot of local parents are in uproar about it."

Heather Marsland, the council's early years manager, said: "St Paul's is the only council-run nursery school in the city and it serves parents and children across the whole of York.

"The nursery has an excellent reputation and has received a very positive Ofsted report, both of which have resulted in the 100 part-time places becoming heavily oversubscribed.

"The admissions policy at St Paul's has been revised, along with LEA admissions as a whole, to make it fairer for all families in the city. However, once the nursery is full, children who have reached four years of age are given priority over three-year-olds, on the basis that they will only have one year at the nursery before they reach school age."

Patrick Scott, City of York Council's director of education and leisure: "In this case, we have operated our admissions procedures properly, which give priority to older children rather than those living close to the school.

"The reason for this is to make provision that is most convenient for working parents."

Updated: 11:02 Tuesday, April 29, 2003