City Schools - Not Enough Places

Written by Cllrs Dermot Roaf & Jean Fooks on Thu 27th Nov 2008

Janet Tomlinson, Director of Children's Services, and Cllr Michael Waine, Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement, claim that "Whatever happens, there will always be a school place for every child who needs one". But in North Oxford there is a four-year old who has been offered a place at a City school more than two miles away - but no free transport (the child is too young) and no direct bus service for her car-less parent to take her to school.

They say that failure to express a preference by the due date will decrease the chance of a convenient place. But there are many academic visitors to Oxford's two Universities who are not allowed to apply until they have visas. This particular parent faxed the visa on 29 August. No reply, so she telephoned and was told that there was no place in North Oxford. But when the family arrived in October, the Council officer said the application had been lost. How many other applications have been lost?

This is not the only case in North Oxford where the alternative school offered is more than two miles away without a direct bus service.

Last year we warned officers that our visits to schools had persuaded us that City schools were likely to be full. Officers assured us that we were wrong. Ms Tomlinson and Cllr Waine state that they are confident that next year there will be places inside the City for all City parents who want them. We hope that they are right and that reasonable alternative schools will be available for those denied their first choice of school.