A FIVE-YEAR-OLD girl was left “heartbroken” when her first day at school was ruined after council bosses refused to give her a place at a primary attended by her sisters.

Jamie McEnhill has not been allowed to attend St Matthew’s Primary, despite the fact older siblings Miah, 9, and six-year-old Macie both learn at the Bishopbriggs hub. 

Living in the East Dunbartonshire village of Twechar, Jamie’s sisters secured their spot at the Park Road school thanks to a placing request. However, Jamie’s was denied by council chiefs. 

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Jaqueline McEnhill, the trio’s distraught mum, has now accused education bosses of ruining her daughter’s one and only first day of school. 

The 28-year-old, who has purchased uniform for Jamie and took her to drop her sisters off on Thursday, said: “It’s just so heartbreaking to see. They have taken her first day away from her and she is never going to get it back. She is broken and it is so hard to sit and watch her. 

“Jamie is getting tested for autism so already feels different. For me to send her to a different school... she’s already gone through enough. 

“They want me to move my two older weans just to keep them happy. That’s ridiculous.” 

Ms McEnhill, who lived in Bishopbriggs when Miah was born and first attended school, has continued to send her daughters to St Matthew’s despite moves to Milton of Campsie and later Twechar. However, she says that, due to being in hospital at the time, her request for Jamie’s place was “mixed up” but she later appealed to education chiefs. 

The mother-of-three insists it is not fair to ask her youngest daughter to attend a different school from her siblings and that it will be nearly impossible for her to arrange transport for all three. Twechar is around 20 minutes by car from Bishopbriggs. 

Ms McEnhill added: “It’s not the school’s fault. They have been fantastic and so understanding. It’s the education board at the council. They don’t care.

“I spoke to one lady who said she would be able to ensure Jamie gets a place at the school next year. But then when I asked her to put that in writing, she said she couldn’t do it. Why not?

Glasgow Times: Jamie in her school uniform on what should have been her first day of school Jamie in her school uniform on what should have been her first day of school
“I have never had an issue getting one of my girls into school. I had to get a biopsy done at the start of the year and so I mixed up with my request. But they phoned me and said they would sort it out if I did it, which I did. I eventually got an answer and was told it was refused. I went through the appeal process but they still refused it.

“They think they will be able to palm me off but I am not gonna allow that.” 

Ann Davie, depute chief Executive – Education, People and Business at East Dunbartonshire Council, said, “The reputation of our schools in East Dunbartonshire means that we receive high numbers of placing requests every year.

“The council has a clear policy and timeline for allocating placing requests with clearly detailed priorities and a robust appeals process is in place to look at cases where placing requests are refused.

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"The council must therefore apply its policies in a fair and consistent way across the board, which unfortunately means we cannot always grant a place to a child where a placing request application has been made.

“We understand that this is extremely disappointing for the McEnhill family and we have provided advice and support on the options available, including supporting Jamie’s transition to her local school.”