600 pupils in school bid misery
More than 600 children in the city and county have failed to get into their preferred secondary school for the next school year, starting in September.
Competition for state schools means one in eight 11-year-olds in Leicester has been left disappointed.
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worry: Jules Sutton with son George, who may not be able to go to Riverside College, which is threatened with closure
The figures reveal the huge imbalance in the popularity of schools, with some vastly over-subscribed and others with many empty places.
So few children want to go to Riverside College, in Rowley Fields, Leicester, that the city council has questioned its long-term future.
The Leicester Mercury revealed last month that only 29 children applied for 180 places.
Jules Sutton applied for a place for her son at Riverside, where his two brothers already study, but has been offered the chance to send him somewhere else because of the uncertainty.
She said: "For any parent who doesn't get into the school of their choice, for whatever reason, it's very upsetting.
"Parents want to fight for the school they want their children to go to. I pray he'll be able to have his education at Riverside.
"Sometimes, I think parents don't get enough accurate information about which secondary schools are available after the junior school because, wrongly, they have a stigma."
In the city, six schools were over-subscribed: Beaumont Leys School; Crown Hills College; Judgemeadow College, in Evington; Moat College, in Highfields; Rushey Mead School, and Soar Valley College, in Rushey Mead. Judgemeadow saw 728 parents name it among their three preferences, although only 240 places were available.
However, three schools, Hamilton Community College, Riverside, and Babington College, in Beaumont Leys, have more than 100 free spaces in year seven.
Peter Smith, of Uppingham Road, Leicester, was angry after losing an appeal to get his son, James, into his nearest school, Crown Hills, last year.
He went to Hamilton College instead, three miles from home. This year, his brother will join him there.
Peter said: "You feel discriminated against and angry because you feel you have no option but to do what you are told.
"When I was young, my brothers, sisters and I went to the same local school. We were not shifted here, there and everywhere, and made to pay for transport."
The figures also show that more than one child in 10 from the city will start at a secondary school in a county council area.
Commenting on the Leicester Mercury website yesterday, one person, describing themselves as a teacher from Enderby, wrote: "It is very clear more aspirational parents are removing their children from city schools.
"At our open evening, some parents even said the teachers in city primary schools had recommended our school over the local (secondary) school.
"We also gain many pupils over the course of an average year, usually the result of bullying and low standards."
Trevor Pringle, service director for children and young people's services, said: "Parents in Leicester are invited to express a preference for up to three schools.
"We are pleased that 87.4 per cent have received their first preference, and, when two and three preferences are taken into account, the figure rises to 97.4 per cent.
"While this is above the rate achieved by similar authorities and above the national average, we will always try to improve on our performance."
In total, 12.6 per cent of city children have not got their first choice. In the county, it is 3.7 per cent. Both are better than the 16.8 per cent national average.
In the county, of the 33 schools that accept pupils at 10 or 11 years old, just 11 are full.
The most under-subscribed are Garendon High School, in Loughborough, with 124 applicants for 270 places, and King Edward VII, in Melton, with 48 applicants for 160 places. Many parents who have not been given their first-choice school can appeal to an independent panel. The closing date to make an appeal is March 20.
Last year, there were 264 appeals in the city, with a quarter of parents eventually being given the school of their choice.
A spokesman for Leicestershire County Council said he was happy so many people got their first choice.
He said: "If they have been unsuccessful, I would encourage them to appeal."
15 Comments
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by John Stitch, Leicester Town
Friday, March 13 2009, 3:20PM
“If you ask the average 11 year old why they should want to go to one particular school rather than another - do you think that they're going to give you an informed and reasoned reply ? At what point exactly did this 'freedom of choice' culture determine where a child 'wants' to go ?
There is something inherently flawed anyway with an education system in any one place whereby the choice for parents of 11-year olds is to send them to a 'bad' school or a 'good' school - those differences just shouldn't be there in the first place. Moreover it's surely this 'freedom' that stops better kids from going to certain schools to begin with, and so the downward spiral for certain schools begins.
Peer pressure is the single biggest influence on most kids at secondary school age, and so it follows that if any kid with behavioural / educational issues gets mixed in with nothing but the same - with no other brighter, better behaved, more responsive kids to help show them the way, they don't even get off the starting blocks.
This is pretty bloody basic stuff that you don't need a degree in educational psychology to understand !”
by ria, Leicester
Friday, March 13 2009, 2:44PM
“There must be some reason as to why the children or parents are opting out from going to Riverside! It's not an overnight decision and the education authorites are not mad to say that they would like to close certain schools. I'm sure that there is more to the closure decision than we are lead to believe. There must be other issues which we have not been made aware of. I have heard that there has been a good turnover of head teachers, teaching staff and also children have been removed from this school due to lack of teaching skills and other issues. It's a shame in that the schools children have to suffer and some staff who are dedicated to their profession.”
by LR, Leicester
Friday, March 13 2009, 2:42PM
“When was that, Rhada? It couldn't have been recently as staffing is stable at Riverside and has been for some time, which is part of the reason why the school has improved so much.”
by AP, Leicester
Friday, March 13 2009, 2:37PM
“If Riverside closes and Fullhurst, which is in special measures, is turned into an academy- what choice will the local people have; an academy or an academy?”
by radha, leicester
Friday, March 13 2009, 2:14PM
“I had to take my daughter & son out of riverside as there the staff turnover was just unbelievable too many cover staff and the effect has been on the children their studies. As the temporary staff don't know what the stage the children are at and so just give them something to work on from their allocated assingments. SORRY BUT I FEEL VERY BITTER AS MY CHILDRENS EDUCATION WOULD HAVE SUFFERED HAD I NOT ACTED WHEN I DID.”
by Martin, Leicester
Friday, March 13 2009, 1:16PM
“It was predicted in 2004/5 when leicester council were bidding for the academy that Riverside would die. Noone at the council wanted to know despite staff warning them. They are now reaping what they sowed !”
by Sarah, Leicester
Friday, March 13 2009, 12:53PM
“Why has this story got such a negative tone?? What it doesn't stress is that only around 100 students in leicester city didn't get one of their choices and the main reason people don't get what they want is because they either don't apply on time or they choose popular schools miles away from where they live. My understanding is that nothing has been decided about Riverside and people can still apply.”
by Gary Lowe, Leicester
Friday, March 13 2009, 12:31PM
“The problem could be eased if we abandoned the 'linked' school rule and redefined priority areas. At the moment people living in priority areas of schools that closed years ago (eg Mundella) are given preferential choices.”
by Julie, Belfast
Friday, March 13 2009, 12:29PM
“This is an outrage! Local schools are for local pupils and they should get preference before anyone futher afield and to be sent 3 miles away is unacceptable. Why was the appeal turned down? I was lucky being educated in MArket Harborough and my son in Hinckley and Sheffield where he attended local schools. If you live 3 miles away from the allocated school, apply for school transport to get your children there and make the LA pay for it, maybe then they will see the sense in keeping Riverside open and allow the loal children to get their education locally an within thwir own community. Not all parents are free to take and collect their children, it also limits after school activity participation if they have to travel great distances ir you have more than one schild in different locations. Schools need to promote themselve better too to encourage pupils to go there and get rid of age old tags of being a bad school. Talk to the teachers and the Heads in the schools and the pupils themselves. On selecting my daughter's High School here in Belfast, we had the opportunity to talk to pupils and gauge their recommendations of the school and we also took into account the facilities for the subjects she is interested in, particularly the science block with is new and up to date. Fight for the right to keep your children in their local school and to keep your local schools open!!!”
by PJ, Blaby
Friday, March 13 2009, 11:59AM
“So does this mean that 600 students can go to Hamilton Community College, Riverside, and Babington College and make their figures acceptable??? Where are the places for the students in year 6 who are being told that they will not be able to go to Riverside next term? Ms Suttons son has been offered a place where? I thought I just read that the schools are full? So why turn kids away from Riverside? Can someone please tell me the logic in this?
It looks as though the LA havent thought this through!”