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Top schools are forced to take in extra pupils
Dominic Hayes, Education Correspondent5 Jun 2008
Leading primary schools are being ordered to expand under emergency moves to tackle a shortage of places - to the fury of parents.
Kingston council said today it had asked seven popular primary and infant schools to take in more than 200 children who were not offered a place for September by using temporary classrooms.
The action comes after London councils revealed more than 2,100 children were not offered any of their preferred schools in this year's primary admissions round.
Kingston was the worst-affected area because the number of applications took the council by surprise.
Even families that have now gained places at one of their three preferred schools are angry at what they claim is the council's failure to plan for a surge in demand that could have been predicted.
Governors of the affected schools are worried the high quality of education they offer, making them popular in the first place, could be threatened by expansion.
One parent governor, who asked not to be named, claimed the schools had been "strong-armed" into each accepting 30 more five-year-olds than they had planned for.
The governor warned there would be "a lot of parental anger" but added: "We have to make the best of it to make sure there's no dilution of education quality and, with the limited resources we have, that every child has the best education."
Kingston insists that 96 per cent of parents have now been offered one of their preferred schools.
But at least one family is still without a place at any of its choices. Collette-Johns said: "Our four-year-old daughter Isabella is one of these unplaced children.
"A letter arrived from the council offering four schools, all of which were not on our original list of three, or even as reserve.
"We will refuse their inadequate, disgraceful offer, but are at a loss at to what to do come September. Even the private schools in the area are all full and have waiting lists."
Paola Hellel has been offered a place for son Zach, four, at Fern Hill Primary - her second choice - after initially receiving no offers.
But she said: "The whole situation is a disgrace. There are so many parents still without a clue as to where their child will be at school from September. How can they make any plans?" The extra places are being created at Alexandra Infants, recently rated "outstanding" by education watchdog Ofsted; Coombe Hill Infants; whose junior school was ranked second in Kingston for results achieved by 11-year-olds last year; Fern Hill Primary, which was third in the rankings; Burlington Infants; Christchurch Primary; Surbiton Maple Infants; and Lovelace Primary. Temporary classrooms are to be installed in five of the seven.
Patricia Bamford, Kingston's executive member for children and young people's services, said she wanted to thank parents for their "patience and understanding" while the additional places were being sought.
Reader views (5)
I have a child due to start at one of the schools impacted with an older child already at the school and I am one of many angry parents who feel fundamentally let down by both Kingston Education Services and the school.
I do not believe for one second there will be anything other than a dilution of education standards for all Primary children in these artificially expanded schools, and when not in the classroom the reduction in playground space will further erode their experience at the school.
I am not sure how many other Kingston schools are also facing the additional squeeze created by the movement of community facilities onto school premises, but it is no wonder Latchmere parents feel their children have been sold out by Council officials, Senior Teachers and School Governors.
- Suzanne, Kingston, 19/03/2009 14:35
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The most annoying thing is the Director of Children's Services says in his letter to parents that Kingston schools welcome the expansion of their services - WELL THE SCHOOLS DON'T!
- Gill, Kingston, 10/06/2008 09:35
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My 5 year old goes to the tiny Alexandra Infant School that has just been told to add an additional class and an extra 30 children. Alexandra was given outstanding by Ofsted this year, yet it was already at maximum with a small building and tiny playground - why is it that everything in this country that works gets diluted and put upon. An extra 30 children?! What does that do to the facilities, the care...the current government are running everything into the ground. And Kingston Council - how can you short count by 2500 places, have you not noticed the immigration and number of children being born in the borough to overseas nationals?!Complete negligence on your part not to prepare for this, I hope people are being held to account for the damage that will inevitably be caused to some once good schools.
- Jones, Kingston, 06/06/2008 09:29
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What does it mean "temporary classrooms", the children will be transferred somewhere else later?
- Kris, London, 06/06/2008 07:00
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How can someone who has been offered 4 school places and turned them all down blame the council? Sure, the council have screwed up on a monumental level - but irresponsible attitudes irk me more.
Every school publishes admissions criteria. If you want your child to go to a particular school then all you have to do is fulfil them, whether that be going to church or moving very close to the school. To turn 4 schools down is outrageous! The council press release showed that there are still 50 vacancies at schools, so clearly this woman is not alone.
What is completely understated here is the effect this will have on the existing pupils at these schools. The council have offered meagre contributions towards setting these extra classrooms up and the existing pupils will lose out for many years to come as schools have to divert funds towards these extra pupils.
And to make it worse, they're not even offering the new extra places to children without a place - they are offering them to people on the schools waiting lists, who may already have a place at another school. Farce, indeed it is.
- Peeved Of Kingston, Kingston, England, 05/06/2008 22:06
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