Bristol education chiefs at the city council had to resort to drawing straws over the future of two children who live in the same tower block, but will go to different primary schools.

Briana Welling is a victim of the school places lottery in Bristol as she has missed out on getting into the reception class at Fairfurlong Primary in Withywood.

Another child in the same block of flats has been given a place.

Bristol City Council has confirmed lots had to be drawn to decide whether Briana or the other child, who both live in Rowan House in Hartcliffe, should be allocated a place for September – and Briana had lost.

She and her mum Becky Kane live in a 10th floor flat in the block on Bishport Avenue. Although there are other schools close to their home, Ms Kane wanted her daughter to go to her old primary school and got Briana into the nursery class at Fairfurlong last September.

"I was shocked when I got the letter from the council to say that my daughter and one other were the only ones in the class who hadn't got a place in reception," said Ms Kane, 24.

"All my family went to Fairfurlong and I wanted Briana to go there. My little brother Simon, who's nine, is still a pupil at the school."

Ms Kane, a single mum, works full time as a health care assistant and her father Colin, who lives off Hareclive Road, takes Briana to school along with Simon.

She must now wait until April to find out if any places become available at Fairfurlong, which was oversubscribed.

If they do not, she will be offered a place at the nearest school to her home that has vacancies. The family has the right of appeal.

Places are granted according to criteria set out in Bristol City Council's guidance for parents.

Children in care get priority, followed by siblings of current pupils and then it goes to the closest to the school.

The guidance states: "Nursery class attendance is not taken into account when places are allocated for reception."

It also says: "Where two or more children live in a flat or other multi-home dwelling and it is not possible to determine which applicant lives closest to the preferred school as measured in a direct line from the building to the school, the available place or places will be allocated by drawing lots."

Council spokeswoman Katharine de Lisle said: "Briana was unlucky in that she and another child from the same block applied for places at Fairfurlong and it did come down to random allocation.

"With regard to the family member at Fairfurlong, we are unable to consider that under the sibling rule because Briana does not live in the same household as her uncle."

She said the council had received 89 applications for the 45 places available at the school for September.

More than 300 families across the city failed to win places for their children at any of their preferred primary schools and must now wait until April before finding out where they will be allocated.