A mum has described school place allocation as “completely random” after her son was denied a place all three of his choices.
Mackenzie Kirwan, 11, will have to leave most of his classmates from Easterside Primary School behind to attend Outwood Academy in Acklam.
A number of his friends will be going to Nunthorpe Academy, which was his first choice.
His mum Emma Morris has spoken out after it emerged that more than one in five children in Middlesbrough failed to secure a place at their first choice secondary school.
The situation contrasts with Stockton and Redcar and Cleveland, where about 95% of pupils got their top choice.
Mackenzie is one of only about 6% to be allocated a school not of their choice, and Emma has already started the process to appeal.
“Academically, Mackenzie is really advanced and his school consider him way above age appropriate,” said Emma, 31, who is also mum to three-year-old Sadie Cook.
“That’s exactly why we wanted Nunthorpe; somewhere to help sustain his current level. I just think: why give us a choice, if we aren’t going to end up even close to what we wanted?”
Although Mackenzie falls in the catchment area for Outwood, Emma, who works as a lollipop lady where she lives on Saltersgill Avenue, says she would rather Mackenzie travelled further if it meant getting the best education.
The talented footballer also failed to secure a place at Macmillan Academy, in central Middlesbrough, and King’s Academy, in Coulby Newham.
Emma said: “Mackenzie was signed for Newcastle United Football Academy over a year ago so he travels up to Newcastle for training five times a week.
“His dad lives in Nunthorpe and is the one who drives him to Newcastle most nights so that he can train. This just won’t be possible if he goes to Outwood, he would never get there on time.
“He’s absolutely devastated at the thought of not being able to commit to his football.”
Emma said she also has concerns for the level of teaching at Outwood - which was previously labelled as a failing school.
She said: “I think the whole school choice process is completely random.”
In Middlesbrough, 78.23% of pupils got their preferred school, while 12.75% were allocated their second choice, with 3.06% going to their third choice of school.
A total of 105 pupils - about 6% - received a place at a school that was not their preferred choice.
A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said: “While we will always do our best to meet parental preferences, it is not always possible.
“This year 105 of the 1,764 applicants – approximately 6% - were in this position.
“These pupils were then allocated their catchment or closest school, whichever has places available.
“Parents do have a right of appeal and pupils are also added to waiting lists and will be offered places as they become available, according to the schools’ oversubscription criteria.”
Redcar and Cleveland Council figures showed that out of 1,476 pupil applications, 96.97% got their preferred school, while 2.96% were allocated their second choice. Just one pupil got their third choice and three were denied all choices.
Stockton Council revealed that 94.25% got their preferred school, while 4.23% were allocated their second choice, with 0.59% going to their third choice of school. Thirteen pupils were allocated a school that wasn’t a preference.
Councillor Ann McCoy, Stockton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “I am really pleased more than nine out of ten of our young people have received their first choice of school and that the majority of all who applied can go to one of their choices. We do try extremely hard to meet their preferences.
“Every parent has the right to appeal and we will consider every case on an individual basis and assess it on its own merits, in accordance with the School Admission Appeals Code.”
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