PARENTAL CHOICE, 16 October 2001
Parental choice in the light of school re-organisation in Merton

Speakers:
Josephine Mahaffey, Assistant Director, Schools Reorganisation, London Borough of Merton, Darren Morris (a local parent), Mr Bob Cargill (Headteacher Bishop Gilpin School)

Main Issues Discussed (views attributed to individuals where possible):

1. Consultation
LBM’s consultation on the reorganisation was ineffective and no account was taken of the views expressed by parents. It seems that LBM regards consultation as a one-way process for imparting information and Council views.

2. “More places in the wrong places.”
LBM has created more school places in schools which are inaccessible or which are unpopular with parents, and not enough places in the schools which parents want their children to go to. (Ian Pickard, parent governor.)

3. Sibling policy
The inflexible application of the Sibling policy adopted by LBM, under which following siblings to a particular school is more important than considerations of distance, results in some children being seriously disadvantaged. The policy should be applied more flexibly. In the original plans for the Reorganisation it was proposed that no child should have to travel more than one mile to primary school. This has now been increased to two miles. (Darren Morris)

4. Two form entry
LBM cannot allow two entry forms at nursery or primary level at a school where the record of pupil fall out shows that only one form will be justified at year 3 or 4 level..(Bob Cargill). The answer is to improve quality and results in the secondary schools to counteract fall out and to encourage parents to leave children in the state sector.

5. Appeal panels
Panels hearing appeals on place allocation issues have no power to take or require action. (Simon Ovens.)

6. Wimbledon disadvantaged.
Josephine Mahaffey claimed that there was a reduction of 45 primary places across the borough as a result of reorganisation. Darren Morris showed figures to demonstrate that in SW19 and SW20 (Wimbledon) the decrease in primary places was 105, a disproportionate loss for Wimbledon. He also pointed out that the ‘Planning Areas’ on which so much is based are now defunct. Judith Cake reiterated that in Wimbledon Primary places are not available where parents want them.

7. Class size
The cap on class sizes at 30, imposed by central government, was far too high. This was agreed by parents and representatives from the LBM.

8. Sale of Hollymount land
Ian Pickard reported that LBM had sold surplus land at Hollymount School. There had been no expansion of the school despite the high demand for places and long waiting list. Roger Paine, LBM Chief Executive, had claimed in writing that the land sale had nothing to do with the failure to expand Hollymount to meet parental demand. Further background information is promised. The suggestion is that the reorganisation was influenced excessively by resource considerations and inadequately by educational needs.

9. Inflexible application of the system
LBM were inflexible in applying their system rigidly, ignoring the community and social needs of the children. For example many children had to travel some distance to schools where they knew no-one, whereas all the others in their street went to a school within walking distance. (David Stroud)

10. LBM Officers 
Josephine Mahaffey was praised for having the courage to come and face her critics. Was it significant that her predecessor and the previous Director of Education, who devised the reorganisation, were neither around to see it through? (This question was sent in before the Forum was held)

11. Church Schools
Problems have been caused by having too many church schools in Wimbledon. (Bob Cargill) One quarter of Primary Schools in Merton are Church Schools, 11 out of 43.

12. Assumptions about Wimbledon
There was an assumption or implication within LBM that Wimbledon parents had the resources, transport etc to cope with longer travel to school than parents elsewhere in the borough and possibly a greater opportunity to opt into the private sector.

ACTION

WCF is to discuss with representatives from the LBM how to make the consultation process more effective.

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