Threat to school places for local children
Opposing Labour's plan to put local families at the back of the queue for school places
Extra school places are to be provided from September 2010 at Kingswood Primary School, Gipsy Road.
But Labour-controlled Lambeth has proposed plans to place local children last in the queue for places. Priority will be given instead to residents as far away as Crown Lane and the Streatham borders at the request of their Labour councillor (even though they have a school on Crown Lane).
We oppose Labour’s plans for queue-jumping, which discriminate against Gipsy Hill residents.
Under Labour’s plans, places for Kingswood will be allocated as follows:
- Categories 1-3: Special cases, such as a brother or sister already at the school
- Category 4: Children from as far away as Crown Lane/Streatham borders
- Final category: Children who live near the school
A copy of the map is shown below. The shaded part is the ‘priority area’. Notice how Labour has excluded many houses next door to the school in favour of others much further away.
Labour’s queue-jumping plans are now out for consultation (ends March 1st). CLICK HERE to download more details from the Lambeth Council website.
The Council has no plans to anyone about this consultation by post. Also, the area’s Labour candidates recently put out a letter welcoming Kingswood’s expansion, but – disgracefully – they didn’t tell you about the consultation or that Labour would place this area’s children at the back of the queue.
Sign our petition below against Labour’s bare-faced cheek and leave comments on these proposals too.
I oppose the Priority Admissions Area for Kingswood School. After special cases, those closest to the school should get priority. A fair admissions system is based on conventional measures.
Jason Turner, I see no logic for this proposal
Both I and my wife work full-time and it will be extremely difficult for us if we lose the opportunity to send our daughter to a school less than 10 minutes walk from her home!
Melanie Turner,
xxxxxxxx, I strongly oppose this. If there is a lack of school places in West Norwood this should be met by building a school in that area - not by stealing places from local children near Kingswood
xxxxxxxx, Local schools should be for local children my daughter will be school age soon and I would be furious if she was denied a place because of these ridiculous proposals.
Tanya Gudgin,
xxxxxxxx,
The school is at the heart of our community, and it should stay that way.
xxxxxxxx, Local community school are supposed to be for the local!
Changing of school encatchment area in order to ease the shortage of primary school around that area is totally inconsiderable!
James Lightfoot,
This proposal is a nothing short of jerrymandering by Labour in lambeth. I live 150 yards from the school which is under enormous local demand as it is, hence the additional places created. Now Labour are giving with one hand and taking away with the other - for the benefit of labour voting parents in a labour ward. This is playing political games with the educational chances of local children, many of whom live in the most deprived parts of Gipsy Hill ward. And how can Lambeth claim to have undertaken a consultation when local residents and parents effected have not been contacted and there are no details on Lambeths own website. This matter should be open o public debate at a council meeting - not slipped in by the back door to avoid objections by parents.
xxxxxxxx, totally against the priorities
local schools fo local kids FIRST !
xxxxxxxx,
