A group of parents are calling for a new secondary school to be built in Birmingham to prevent their children being "cast to the four winds" at the age of 11.

Parents in Selly Oak claim there is no obvious choice to send their off-spring when they reach secondary level.

They highlight the fact that a class of 30 Year Six pupils at one school - Raddlebarn Primary - ended up at ten different secondaries last year, resulting in long-standing friendship circles being broken up. The group claims options available to them involve children walking considerable distances and in one case having to cross a park.

Residents recently met Birmingham's Councillor Les Lawrence (Con Northfield) to discuss the possibility of expanding secondary provision.

David Faers, whose daughter Fay is in Year Two at Raddlebarn, said: "There is a good community spirit at the school and we are keen to maintain that continuity.

"I just think it is a shame that they are potentially cast to the four winds when they get to the age of 11. Parents don't have a natural choice and the children will be sadder and poorer for it if they lose the links with the kids they have grown up with, some of them from pre-school."

There are seven primary schools in the Selly Oak ward. The only state secondary school is Selly Park Technology College for Girls.

The nearest other options are Queensbridge in Kings Heath, which for many would involve crossing Cannon Hill Park; the Kings Norton Boys and Kings Norton Girls Schools; Dame Elizabeth Cadbury Technology College in Bournville; Harborne Hill and Bournville School, all of which involve considerable travelling.

Tight admission criterias also mean many families are outside priority catchment areas for these schools.

Another option for a limited number of parents is to go selective with the fee-paying King Edward's schools in Edgbaston or their grammar counterparts in Kings Heath.

"In terms of developing that sense of community and having a sense of responsibility for the area, it is not there because the relationships they

build at primary school are not there at secondary school," one parent said.

"It is almost as if we have diversified in education too much and there is no 'bog standard' secondary for our children. The council's vision is for vibrant urban villages. We have an area where residents want that, but you have to have the facilities within it."

Raddlebarn's headteacher Fiona Chamberlain described some pupils in the area as living in a "no-man's land" when it came to secondary schools.

"We have some very good secondary schools around here, but in pockets there aren't ones near enough for pupils to get to easily.

"There used to be a couple of other secondary schools in the area which have closed. There are enough places for all the children, but there isn't always one that is near enough for parents.

"It is a bit of a no-man's land, that is the concern of parents."

Selly Oak's proximity to the University of Birmingham has also had an impact.

It has resulted in many homes being turned over to students, affecting the coherence of the area.

Birmingham City Council appeared to rule out establishing a new secondary school. But Coun Les Lawrence (Con Northfield) said other solutions were being looked at such as extending schools and altering admission criterias.

"There are some very interesting ideas bubbling up. We always trying to be at the forefront of innovation. I am enthused by the way we are able to engage with the community."