SCHOOL bosses are seeking to find a compromise solution to enable children from moorland villages to get to class in September.

Last week it emerged that Blackburn Private Hire was cancelling the 981 service taking children from Darwen, Turton, Hoddlesden and Chapeltown to and from Canon Slade School days before the end of term leaving 30 pupils and their parents 'high and dry'.

They and their local West Pennine councillors have appealed to Blackburn with Darwen Council to find the cash to reinstate the service to the secondary academy just over the border in Bolton.

But its education boss Cllr Julie Gunn says she cannot subsidise one bus service to an out of area school without offering the same to other parents whose children are educated out of the borough.

Tania Lewyckyj, chief executive of The Bishop Fraser Trust which runs Canon Slade, said: "Parents and carers choose Canon Slade School because of the distinctive Christian, high quality education we provide and it has been the school of choice for many years of young people from this area.

"This decision has caused considerable upset to the families who chose Canon Slade School for their children to join our school in Year 7 in September under the assumption that the 981 would be available.

"They are now in a very difficult position of how to get their child to school in September. Starting high school is often stressful enough without such further complications.

"The timing of this decision at the very end of the school year was extremely disappointing and has not given families time to find an alternative. Currently, that would be a bus, a train and a walk along a major busy road.

"We believe Blackburn with Darwen Council should be supporting parental choice and contributing to the cost of this bus service, as do other local authorities.

"The school, the trust and families have contacted MPs, councillors and the bus company to ask for support to reverse this decision or at least support a delay by one academic year to give families time to explore alternatives. Many families may have to face the prospect of moving their child to an alternative school mid-year.

"We hope that with all of us working together for the children that we can come to some sensible arrangement for September."

A Blackburn Private Hire spokesman said: “We have subsidised the service for far too long and it has cost us a lot of money.”