Let's Talk Education - Battle Event!

Since the shortage of primary school reception classes became apparent last year I have not stopped asking what is to be done about it and atending many meetings tasked with solving the problem. We are very short of suitable sites in Battle to expand or even build a school so choices are very limited. I believe it is vital that families can be confident their child will have a place in school.

At the full Council meeting last week I asked Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Education & Children's Services what was being done to provide these much needed places. Part of his response was the up-coming Let's Talk Education sessions. Potential expansion plans will be announced and discussed. Some will be accepted and some will be firmly rejected but, what must happen is children get a place in a school.

The event in Battle will be next Tuesday 12 March at 7.30 at the Emmanuel Methodist Church. I will see you there!

04/03/2013
Reading Borough Council Press Release

PARENTS and local residents are being invited to a series of Let’s Talk Education feedback events in March to hear more about how Reading Borough Council is proposing to meet the rising demand for school places across the town.

Question to Council: School Places in Battle Ward

This evening, at full Council, I asked the following question to the Lead Councillor for Education & Children’s Services John Ennis:

'In recent weeks parents of children starting in Reception in September 2012 have been receiving their offer for school places.  As offers went out if became clear both at the school gate, and through parents contacting me, that a significant number of children in the Battle Ward, and surrounding area, were without a school place.  The pressure on school places this year was known, and ‘bulge’ classes arranged but there were not enough extra places identified in West Reading.  This has caused upset and uncertainty at what is already a stressful time for parents.

I ask the Lead Councillor for Education & Children’s Services to confirm:

•  If all children due to start school in September 2012 now have a place?

• Why so many children, especially in the Battle ward area, were not offered a school during the first wave of allocations?

• What lessons have been learnt from this round of admissions?

• What is being done to prevent this happening next year?

• What are we doing to help parents travel to the schools they have been allocated out of their catchment particularly those with children already in a different school?'

I felt it important to ask these questions publicly.  I am a representative of the residents of Battle ward, and a parent, and understand how stressful the school admissions process can be.  I have been in contact with Cllr Ennis and the Leader of the Council Jo Lovelock since it became clear there was a problem in Battle and have been meeting with officers since April to discuss them, most recently to put in place help with travel.

I have also been supportive of Battle Primary School's parents and staff and made sure I attended the recent meetings regarding their Ofsted report that put them into Special Measures.  Battle Cllrs Chris Maskell and Gul Khan also attended to offer their support and listen to the concerns of parents about the forced academisation of their community school.

I am also governor of Oxford Road Community School and have also been supportive of the proposed expansion of the school and relocation of the nursery unit allowing for an in take of 30 extra children into reception in September.  I was at the exhibition on Monday, again to listen to parents.

It is important to me that, not only am I active in word, but also in action.

The answer to my question can be seen here:

Labour re-elects winning team

Reading & District Labour Party Media Release  

8 May 2012

The first meeting of the Labour Group following the party’s success in the Borough elections has tonight re-elected Jo Lovelock as Leader and Tony Page as Deputy Leader, and kept the same Cabinet Members, although some changes have been made to some of their portfolios.

Jo Lovelock says: “With 26 out of the 46 Council seats, we have a solid mandate to push ahead with the programme on which we fought the elections, and the important thing now is to get down to work and deliver for local people.  We are keen to get on with our ‘Let’s Talk’ approach in communities across the town and making the changes that people want to see.  We know we are in tough times, but we have shown that we can stand up for local people, particularly those who are most in need of Council services, and we will be working hard to deliver what local people expect.”

The full Cabinet list is as follows:

Leader - Jo Lovelock

Deputy Leader

& Regeneration, Transport & Planning - Tony Page

Adult Social Care - Mike Orton

Community Engagement & Service Transformation - Jan Gavin

Culture & Sport - Marion Livingston

Education & Children’s Services - John Ennis

Environment & Climate Change - Paul Gittings

Health & Wellbeing - Bet Tickner

Neighbourhoods & Housing - Rachel Eden

UPDATED: Schools admissions - we're here to help

UPDATED: it has been confirmed by Leader of the Council Jo Lovelock that she has asked for ways to ensure transport is available to families. It has also been asked that a special arrangement, outside the usual policy of two miles, be discussed to recognise the problem for families who have been affected by the bulge.  Councillors are also asking if different methods of assessing numbers can be looked at for the future taking location into account.  A further letter is also going out to families currently without a school place.

Just a short post to let residents know that Battle councillors Gul Khan, Chris Maskell and I are taking concerns about school places in the Battle area very seriously.  As soon as it became clear there was a shortage of spaces we asked for an update from officers and we have also asked the plans for next years intake are discussed as soon as this round has finished.  We are also being kept up to date by the Lead Councillor for Education and Children's Service, John Ennis.

Parents are clearly upset that places in the area are short and have not got their first choice school.  We know the council are doing their best and will find places for all children but questions need to be asked to prevent this happening again.

I must admit I was surprised to see the following from Green cllr Melanie Eastwood 'sometimes protecting green space should outweigh other priorities including extending schools.' when talking about the Wilson Primary school application to build school facilities on their own playing field.  I am sure the parents in the area would not agree given the shortages already experienced.

I have also been reminded by Cllr Maskell (my dad) that Battle was due approximately £300,000 from Labour's Building Schools for the Future fund which was scrapped when the Tory/Lib Dem coalition came into power. 

I have offered my help to the parents I see at the school gates but I don't see everyone.  Please contact us if you would like questions answered or if you require representation.

sarah.hacker@reading.gov.uk
chris.maskell@reading.gov.uk
gul.khan@reading.gov.uk

From Cllr John Ennis' blog: This year Reading has received applications for 2,144 children seeking a place at school for September 2012. This is an increase of 197 (10%) from last year, which follows the national trend. However in Reading only 6% fewer families have been offered their first preference at this stage.

“A £20m investment has been made by the Council, over a five year period, to increase capacity in three schools with a further £1.8 million invested this year on temporary measures to cope with high demand in part caused by the economic pressures which are restricting the social mobility that has always been common in the borough. This means as families grow they are having to remain living in the same houses, which in turn puts additional pressure on school places in those areas.

 “The Council is working closely with schools across the Borough and we are confident we will at the end of the process accommodate all of the children who applied for a place. “As always, we have done everything possible to try to meet parents’ aspirations for where their children go to school and we fully understand that some parents will be disappointed. However, in the circumstances, we have done everything we can to distribute places as fairly as possible by following the published admission policies and processes.

Details are as follows:         2012    2011
                   1st Preference   76.2% 82.3%                     
                    2nd Preference 10.7% 8.8%
                    3rd Preference 3.9%    3.9%
                    4th Preference 1.60%  0.92%