A mother is furious as her daughter could be forced to do a 30-mile round trip to school each day - including walking past an open prison.

Amanda Kane’s daughter Nevaeh was “devastated” after being rejected from her three secondary school choices and placed in St Andrews High School in Worthing.

To reach the school on time from the family’s home in Ford, Amanda said that her 10-year-old child would need to set off from school at 6.30am each day.

Her walk would take her through an abandoned airfield, an industrial estate and past HMP Ford, an open prison holding over 500 men.

The council said she had been offered a place at the nearest available school with space.

Amanda, 45, told The Argus: “As a parent I wouldn’t want my daughter to do that. It doesn’t bear thinking what could happen to her.

“In winter months it's dark and there’s an abandoned airfield and an open prison. A lot of expletives were said when I found out.

“Nevaeh is absolutely devastated and doesn’t want to go to that school. We declined the place so at the moment she is school-less.”

Amanda claimed that St Andrews in Worthing was being used by the council as a “dumping ground” for children who had not got into their preferred schools.

The Argus: Nevaeh, 10, was given a 30-mile round trip to school by the councilNevaeh, 10, was given a 30-mile round trip to school by the council (Image: Amanda Kane)

A recent Ofsted inspection from April 2022, rated the school as “inadequate”, saying that it had “serious weaknesses”.

Amanda said she was in the process of beginning the appeals process to try and find a suitable school for her daughter.

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Amanda complained that Nevaeh had not got into her preferred school because she lives too far away from it - but she has now been given a place 15 miles away from home.

The placement comes as a number of parents have complained that their children are being placed in schools that are miles away from their home.

A spokesman for West Sussex County Council said: “All three of this parent’s preferences were out of their area and all three schools were unfortunately full at allocation.

“They did not include their catchment school in their application. We therefore offered a place at the nearest available school with space, in line with our admissions policy.

READ MORE: Anger after child offered place at school six miles from home

“A place will automatically be added on the waiting lists for all three of the family’s preference schools and they have the right to appeal.”

Mia Lowney, headteacher at St Andrew’s CE High School, said: “St Andrew's is a school that places its community and values of respect, responsibility and integrity at the core of all we do, and therefore we do recognise and understand the concerns that some families have raised.

“While we are mindful of the distance, transport links to the school are good with regular trains stopping at both Worthing and East Worthing stations.

"Students who live further than three miles from their allocated secondary are able to contact West Sussex County Council for support with transportation.”

Ms Lowney added that the school appealed its inadequate rating and that council visits in December suggested that it is no longer in this category.

The Ministry of Justice, which runs HMP Ford, was approached for comment.