A Watford mum whose daughter has not been allocated a place at the infant school of her nursery has slated the county council for its "ridiculous, illogical and unhelpful" process.

Jo Brisbane, of north Watford, said her four-year-old daughter Eve is on a waiting list having failed to gain a place at Parkgate Infants and Nursery School - despite attending the nursery there since September.

Jo's eldest daughter Grace, 11, is in Year 6 at Parkgate Junior School but Jo has been told the so-called sibling rule is not applicable because of the age gap between the two girls.

The 34-year-old said Hertfordshire County Council should have clearer guidance on the school places allocation process as it is a "logical" assumption is that the nursery class would go into reception at the school.

The police officer said: "Almost half her nursery class haven't got a place in the reception class. It doesn't seem logical. Why do children already at that school not get a place?

"If we had known, we would have kept her with the childminder and not sent her to nursery, where she has settled and made friends, only to uproot her to another school to start over.

"The childminder she has had for three years does not cover the areas of the schools left with places, which are miles away, and our household does not have a car. This is a ridiculous situation to be in."

Jo is appealing the decision but said the county council has given her the impression it will not make a difference.

She said: "Every step we've gone through with this appeal, we have been made to feel it is pointless and encouraged not to do it. If that's the case, why have an appeals process?

"Come September my daughter might be going to a school not even in Watford.

"It's so important to get off to a good start in school. We don't want her to be going off everyday unhappy or anxious and asking why she couldn't go to school with her friends.

"We find it strange. We can't understand how these places are being allocated."

In a statement Hertfordshire County Council said: "The vast majority of children were allocated one of their ranked schools, but this is a significant challenge given there are 10,000 more children under the age of four in Hertfordshire today than a decade ago.

"We appreciate Ms Brisbane’s concerns, but the Under 11s literature does clearly explain that a place at a school’s nursery class is no guarantee that a child will be allocated a place in the reception class - the processes are entirely separate.

"Also, a child will only be included as sibling link if the older child will be on the school roll when the younger child starts.

"Parkgate Infants organises its year groups into classes of 30 - therefore appeals are heard under infant class size legislation and are more difficult to win because these appeals can only be held on two grounds.

"Firstly if the school’s admission arrangements are illegal or if a mistake has been made in the allocation of places that has denied the child a place. Or if the decision to refuse admission was 'unreasonable' (in law this means bizarre or perverse).

"Every parent has the right to appeal - regardless of their chances of success - that is outlined in national legislation."