Parents battling new admissions rules at Eldwick Primary School today have new hope of victory.

The powerful executive committee at Bradford Council is to be asked if it will stick to the sibling ruling where if a child is already at the school its brothers and sisters will also get places.

That had been threatened by priority places going to a new housing development close to the school and some parents feared their children could end up at different schools.

Yesterday both the admissions forum and the improvement committee bowed to parent power and will ask the executive on April 5 to stay with the sibling ruling.

Gael Housley, whose three children could have been split up, said: "We are really hopeful this will not be the case. All we have ever wanted is some recognition for the people already in the school. It would have had a huge impact on our lives. We could have had three children at three different primary schools.

"We hope the executive does not go against these recommendations."

Mrs Housley's husband, Roy, told yesterday's meeting parents were already withdrawing their children from Eldwick rather than risk having their other children turned away in the future. He said: "This policy is hitting children." He suggested allowing parents with children already in the school, and with others due to start school, to feed through the system unaffected by the new admission arrangements.

He argued that Eldwick deserved special treatment for three main reasons - the new priority areas bear no relation to the school's old catchment area, 900 homes have been built around the school, and that parents were 'misled' into believing the school would be expanded.

The suggestion was described as a 'sensible compromise' by one committee member and its chairman, Councillor Phillip Thornton, agreed, saying: "Because the new priority areas bear no relation to the old catchment areas we need to have interim arrangements."

The committee then passed a resolution 'strongly supporting' the petitioners' suggestion, adding that the families were in an 'unacceptable position'.

The recommendation was put before the schools' independent admissions forum later that afternoon which also backed them.

It will now go to the executive committee.

Education portfolio holder Councillor Dale Smith said the parents had made a strong case based on their circumstances and their views had been sympathetically received.

He said further advice would be taken before any final decision is reached by the executive.