Bid to fast-track navy children into schools scrapped
A BID to give children from armed forces families priority when applying for school places looks set to be scrapped.
Plans to define youngsters with parents in the army, navy or air force as ‘hard to place’ children have met with opposition from Portsmouth City Council’s admissions panel, which was asked to investigate the issue.
The body – which is made up of councillors, parents and teachers – concluded there was not enough evidence of a problem to fast-track such families through the admissions process when they move into the city, or from one ward to another.
Concerns were raised by the council’s Conservative group that because the military can require its personnel to move during term time – if they are redeployed or receive a promotion – they can struggle to find places at secondary schools.
But at a meeting of the full council, it was questioned whether councillors could legally change the policy as the final say is down to the admissions panel, which has now been asked to review its decision.
Opposition education spokesman Tory Cllr Steve Wemyss said he thought the final decision should rest with the elected members of the council.
‘The numbers we’re talking about are small,’ he said.
‘And all this would be is a small expression of support for military families in a military town.’
He added: ‘It’s not right that an unaccountable body should decide things like this. Somebody needs to take a stand.
‘If there is no evidence that it is a big problem why wait before putting something in place?’
Of the eight secondary school headteachers who responded to the admissions panel during their investigation, seven said they were not in favour of the proposed changes, with Springfield School, in Drayton, their only supporter.
Primary head teachers were described as being of a similar view.
But opposition deputy leader Donna Jones said data on whether there was a problem had not been collected by the council.
‘The problem is we don’t even ask the question,’ she said. ‘It isn’t an option people can put down when applying, so nobody knows how much of a problem there is. I hope the admission panel makes the right decision.’
Leader of the council Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson said: ‘The problem area is around Springfield where more military families live, but no one has come to us to say they couldn’t get a place.
‘If it does become a problem then we will look at it again.’
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Portsmouth
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 2 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
ConDems Out!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 06:02 PMThe story and the first poster's comment are a damning indictment of current schools "policy". It's about time someone was brave enough to campaign for and put an end to this insatiable desire that politicians (sadly, I admit, that includes Labour as well as the Tories and Liberal Democrats) have to play about with education, believing that "competition" and "the market" are the determinants of standards. Get rid of academies and free schools and restore powers to local authorities... they may not get everything right but the school system will only work where there is greater co-ordination and co-operation. Setting school against school, child against child and parents against other parents is the road to madness.
Tegs
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 08:58 AMI for one would be very hacked off if my children had to travel an unreasonable distance to school because of a military child taking their school place when I live in the same street as the school I want my children to attend. Have these military families never tried Married and unaccompanied after all they get paid extra for being apart. Before any one makes comments YES I have done it as an army wife as I opted for a more stable life for my children .
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.