PARENTS of Ribble Valley junior schoolchildren should be under no illusion as to the difficulties that lie ahead in trying to secure them a place at a Ribble Valley secondary school.

Your article (LET, September 20) highlighted the shortfall in places and Lancashire Education Authority's attempts to relieve the situation. The Ribble Valley Schools for Ribble Valley Children campaign (RVSRVC) was formed in order to pressure LEA into taking positive action on school places and to support parents experiencing difficulty in being offered a real preference in choice of schools.

There is a suggestion that some five additional places might be made available by Clitheroe Grammar School and 30 at Longridge High School. This still leaves a shortfall of up to 35 places for year 2000/2001.

The LEA report presented to the Lancashire County Council's education and cultural services committee contained a crucial change to previous years' plans which will affect pupils' chances of success in attaining a Ribble Valley secondary place in future years.

If Ribblesdale High School in Clitheroe is oversubscribed at first preference stage, Accrington Moorhead High School will be considered the nearest alternative school for children living in the southern part of the Ribble Valley. The education and cultural services committee, without any consultation with parents, teachers or school governors, took this decision earlier in the summer. Despite our pleas for an explanation as to how this change will improve the situation, we have yet to receive a reply. RVSRVC believe that offering Accrington Moorhead High School as the single source of secondary education will be totally unacceptable to many parents. We applaud the Lancashire Evening Telegraph's suggestion that additional places should be found to accommodate pupils in the communities where they live.

In July, more than 1,200 people signed a petition, backed by Ribble Valley Council and MP Nigel Evans, urging LEA to bid for significant extensions at Ribble Valley secondary schools. The ruling Labour group, promoted by the head of education services, Hazel Harding, defeated this motion, presented to a full meeting of Lancashire County Council.

County Coun Harding (LET, July 29) accused Ribble Valley councillor Chris Holtom of scare-mongering and exaggerating the problem. I suggest that she tries to tell that to the pupils and parents affected.

RVSRVC campaign will continue to work to ensure that there are sufficient places made available in Ribble Valley schools for all Ribble Valley children, not only for the coming year, but for all future years.

Parents concerned about the ramifications of the recent changes to intake criteria or the shortage of places can contact RVSRVC on 01254 249297.

STUART FINCH (Ribble Valley Schools for Ribble Valley Children), Whalley Road, Wilpshire, Blackburn.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.