A WEST London mother was forced to keep her 13-year-old daughter at home for three months because the local education authority could not find her a school.

Ojaswi Rajenda, of Sudbury Avenue, Sudbury, has missed all of the current term due to a chronic shortage of places affecting up to 80 Brent school children.

Her mother Jyoti had to shell out for text-books and sit in with Ojaswi while she struggled to keep up with her schoolwork.

Ojaswi, who moved to England from India in September, is due to start school at Wembley High Technology College, in East Lane, this week after months of uncertainty.

"I was in a terrible depression," Jyoti said. "Our family came to Brent in the hope of giving our children a better life and a better education.

"My daughter was so excited when we arrived. Every day, she asked me when she would be going to school with the other children but I had no answer.

"I was so worried about her falling behind that I even booked a ticket back to India."

The family had the suitcases packed, and were set to fly out on Saturday when their misery was finally ended. After a lengthy appeal, Ojaswi was granted a place.

Her mother said: "We tried all the local schools including Wembley, Preston Manor, Copland and Alperton and were turned away. We even asked Harrow Council, but they told us they preferred to take pupils from their own borough."

Instead of attending weekly classes, Ojaswi spent four hours every Saturday catching up on missed lessons at Copeland High School, in Cecil Avenue.

The 13-year-old is one of 80 secondary school students who have been unable to get places in Brent schools since the beginning of term.

The extent of the crisis came to light after the Liberal Democrats grilled Labour about the problem at a recent council meeting.

Labour Councillor Michael Lyon, lead member for education, arts and libraries said: "There are sufficient places for all applicants for Brent primary schools and Year 7 in secondary schools. Parents are directed to those schools with places.

"There are currently approximately 80 applicants seeking places in Brent secondary schools for Years 8 to 11. We are working to ensure that suitable educational provision is made as soon as possible."

However, this was not enough to quell the anger of the Liberals.

Education spokesman, Councillor Bob Wharton said: "Brent is supposed to keep some spare capacity in schools to cater for pupils moving into the area, but something has clearly gone seriously wrong."