Families say there ‘has been a massive failing for local children this year’
Parents in Stockport say their children have been let down by missing out on places at their nearest high schools.
A group of families in the borough have come together to fight the decision not to provide their kids with spaces at either Cheadle Hulme High School or Laurus Cheadle Hulme this September.
They say that in previous years there’s never been an issue getting into the schools, both of which are run by the Laurus Trust, but claim now even those ‘on the doorstep’ are being sent elsewhere.
One mum, who lives just 0.8 miles from Cheadle Hulme High School and about a mile from Laurus Cheadle Hulme, says her daughter has been offered The Kingsway School instead, which is almost four miles away from home.
“We were so shocked on National Offer Day that our daughter wasn’t allocated any of the local high schools which we live within a mile of,” said the mum, whose daughter currently attends Lane End Primary.
“We weren’t even offered a school on our preference list and our daughter will have to travel four miles on public transport to go to a school she has never seen.
“She broke down in tears when she found out that she has been placed in an unknown school without her friends. She goes to sleep at night crying and wakes up crying. It is devastating to see our child like this.”
The number of pupils currently in Year 6 in Stockport is what is referred to as a ‘bulge year’ due to the birth rate being particularly high in the year those children were born.
It’s also the first time that Cheadle Hulme Primary School (CHPS), which opened seven years ago, will have its first group of children leaving the school.
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That’s likely to have affected the catchment area for Laurus Cheadle Hulme, where 56 of the 60 children from CHPS are going. Another two are going to Cheadle Hulme High School and the remaining two to other schools.
The addition of VAT on independent school places means that it is likely more families who may have gone to the Independent sector are now looking for state places.
The mum of the pupil now left travelling elsewhere added: “I feel the council knew this was coming and have not planned accordingly. There are six people in my daughter’s class in the same position and other primaries are similarly affected.
“The council and high schools knew that this would be a year of high applications, but seemed unwilling to increase capacity at all schools, instead only increasing capacity at the underperforming schools.
“I honestly do not know why we pay our council tax when certain publicly funded schools can just refuse to increase capacity. There has been a massive failing for local children this year.”
Another parent whose daughter missed out on both Cheadle Hulme high schools said she has lived in Cheadle Hulme all her life ‘and never did I think we would be in this position when we started a family of our own’.
“We are deeply frustrated and disappointed that our child has been unable to secure a place at either Cheadle Hulme High School or Laurus Cheadle Hulme, despite living within catchment and less than a mile from both schools,” said the mum, whose child has also been offered a place at The Kingsway School.
“It is incredibly concerning that local children are being denied access to their nearest schools, leaving families in a stressful and uncertain situation.
“We have been told that extra places were made available across the borough, it seems that this hasn’t happened at either of the Cheadle Hulme schools where there is such a big issue. Where are all these children coming from?”
A spokesperson for the Laurus Trust explained that Laurus Cheadle Hulme and Cheadle Hulme Primary School were both opened in September 2018 to help meet the need for additional places in the borough.
They said: “The Pupil Admission Number (PAN) for Cheadle Hulme High School allows for us to take 270 Year 7 children each September. This has not changed for many years.
“We will always try and work positively with the local authority to meet additional need if we have spaces. Our school building is, however, at full capacity.
“This is the first time that Cheadle Hulme Primary School will have its first group of children leaving the school. That’s likely to have affected the catchment area for Laurus Cheadle Hulme, where 56 of the 60 children from CHPS are going. Laurus Cheadle Hulme does, however, also have a PAN of 270, which they are likely to exceed once appeals are considered.”
The spokesperson added: “Any parent who has been unsuccessful in gaining a place for their child can use the appeals process, managed by an independent adjudicator. Given the significant volume of families who appeal for a Laurus school, we often see a small number of additional children securing places through this process.”
Stockport Council would not disclose how many pupils were offered their first choice of school, but said it had planned ahead for the larger cohort this academic year.
A spokesperson for the council said: “92% of our residents were offered places at one of their top three preferences this year and no one has been left without an offer.
“The local authority, working with its schools, planned for the increased numbers of children seeking year 7 places this year, as such additional places were made available for National Offer Day at the majority of schools in Stockport. This included Cheadle Hulme High School and Laurus Cheadle Hulme.”