Jennifer Gilbert and her husband Gary say two of their children have been out of class for almost two months. Now the couple fear their offspring are falling "further and further behind".

       The family moved from Clayton to the south Manchester suburb of Wythenshawe on September 27.

       Almost two weeks earlier they sent off application forms for son Bradley, 13, and daughter Charlotte, four. These were so they could attend The Kingsway School in Cheadle and Ringway Primary in Wythenshawe.

       Jennifer and Gary's nine-year-old son Thomas has special educational needs so his school application is made on his behalf by Manchester City Council.

       Charlotte was given a place at Ringway Primary on October 18, but Bradley and Thomas are still waiting.

       Jennifer said Ringway was approached, but mum and dad were told the primary could not meet Thomas's needs.

       "Every time we ring to chase up the application we hear different excuses and are told to call back in two weeks time," Jennifer told the Manchester Evening News.

       "I have made phone call after phone call and complaint after complaint. All I keep getting back is Manchester school admissions are very busy and can't cope with the demand.

       "We have been told the delay is because of Covid, needing to give places to refugees, and even that they have new software that is not working," she added.

       The worried mum says it is a crucial time for Bradley as he has just picked his GCSE options. She fears he is falling "further and further behind" as a result of being out of school.

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       She said: "My children have been out of school for almost two months due to Manchester city Council failing to place them in a school after we moved.

       "My eldest son was getting ready to do his school GCSE options which has now been ruined. My youngest son has special needs and needs a special school program which has been totally ignored.

       "I'm at the end of my rope with all this. If I take my kids out of school for any reason I get fined, but they can do what they want it seems."

       A spokesperson for Manchester City Council said it can sometimes take a bit of time to find school places that meet both children's needs and parental preferences when families move into or around the city mid-academic year.

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       He added: "In this case we've been in continued discussions around a school place for Thomas that meets his specific needs since mid-September and we expect an offer of a place to be made to him this week that we think should be acceptable to his parents."

       Each year across the country parents and guardians make choices as to which school they would like their child to attend.

       Local councils then look at those selected and where they can make an offer to parents.

       However, not all parents are offered their first choice because some schools receive more applications than there are places available.

       Places will then be offered on the basis of who most closely meets a school’s admission criteria which are set locally and may involve benchmarking.

       Between 90 and 95 percent of parents gain a place at one of their top three preferred schools, according to School Appeals.