Parents quitting East End’ over school place shortage
PARENTS are quitting London’s East End because they cannot get their children into the secondary schools of their choice, it has emerged this week. This year’s battle for secondary school admissions in Tower Hamlets has left 190 youngsters aged 11 without a place at any of their six preferred schools
PARENTS are quitting London’s East End because they cannot get their children into the secondary schools of their choice, it has emerged this week.
This year’s battle for secondary school admissions in Tower Hamlets has left 190 youngsters aged 11 without a place at any of their six preferred schools, the East London Advertiser has discovered.
Two thirds of the 15 secondary schools are over-subscribed, while the local education authority is still offering places to 159 kids from other areas.
DESPERATE MOVE
Now families are moving out in the run-up to the autumn admissions process in a desperate attempt to avoid being forced into a school they don’t want.
Tower Hamlets councillor Josh Peck raised his concerns at a Town Hall cabinet meeting.
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“This is an issue which cannot be ignored,” he said.
“These figures hide the fact that some parents are moving out before the admissions process because they’re worried about their children not getting into a school in Tower Hamlets. Some are moving to Greenwich.”
MIDDLE CLASS’ EXODUS
It is mainly middle class families’ who want their children to go to Bethnal Green’s over-subscribed Morpeth Secondary, he revealed.
Tower Hamlets has 78 Year-7 pupils from neighbouring Hackney and 63 from Newham, figures show.
Only seven-out-of-10 youngsters who applied for a school place were given their first choice, although that was higher than the London average of 66 per cent.
Parents can appeal, but only 16 per cent were successful in Tower Hamlets last year.
The authority maintains there are “sufficient places” for all Tower Hamlets children due to start secondary in September.
