Council campaigns for borough to be given priority on school places
Political leaders on Telford & Wrekin Council have written to the Secretary of State for Education to ask for local childrenh to be given preference when school places are being allocated.
Council
leader and leader of the Labour group Councillor Shaun Davies, Conservative
group leader Councillor Andrew Eade and Liberal Democrat/Independent group leader
Councillor Bill Tomlinson have joined forces to lobby the Rt Hon Justine
Greening MP.
Their
concern is that when a school has to apply its over subscription criteria, it
is leading to Telford and Wrekin places being given to children living in
neighbouring local authority areas.
The
letter explains that a number of large employers are planning to relocate to
Telford and Wrekin, which is resulting in the council having to plan where new
schools may be needed to meet future demand.
The
government’s current position on school admissions states that pupils should
not be discriminated against in relation to admission to school even if they do
not reside within the Local Authority area in which the school is situated.
On this
the council letter says: “We feel
strongly that the current position on school admissions….makes it very
difficult for local authorities to plan to use their resources in an efficient
manner.”
It adds:
“There is a strong feeling across the borough that, in the event of a school
having to apply their over subscription criteria, then preference should be
given in the allocation of places to those living in Telford and Wrekin rather
than to children living in other local authority areas.
“This
proposal has the support of all political groups within Telford and Wrekin and
we would therefore formally request that you consider whether the regulations
should be revisited and amended to reflect the position of allowing local
Council Tax payers to have priority for their local schools.”
