Nearly 100 children out of school due to lack of places (From This Is Local London)

Nearly 100 children out of school due to lack of places in Croydon

9:30am Thursday 9th February 2012 in Where I Live

Nearly 100 children out of school due to lack of places

Nearly 100 children in Croydon are missing out on an education as they could not be given a school place.

Figures released by the council revealed 96 primary or secondary school children had been without a place for more than the four week government guidelines.

The north of the borough is feeling the pressure of over-subscribed schools the most, with 13 children in Thornton Heath and 10 children in Norbury without a place.

Waddon is also a hotspot with 10 children unable to get education due to a lack of places.

Croydon is one of 12 London boroughs most affected by the rise in demand for school, places.

A council spokesman said: "We are doing all we can to find school places for children who move into Croydon in the middle of the education year.

"This is proving a challenge because the overall rise in demand for school places across London and in many other areas of the country means that there are few places available.

"And where they are available, these are in different parts of Croydon to where the demand is."

However, the spokesman said the council was working with schools to ensure up-to-date information on vacancies was available.

"We have established a ‘Fair Access’ panel to make sure that we work with head teachers to place those with additional needs appropriately," he said.

"We are adding capacity to schools through creating additional classes."

The squeeze for school places has taken its toll on classrooms too.

Ten schools in the borough have to teach reception to year 2 classes in temporary classrooms such as porta-cabins.

In total, 390 pupils are being taught in the temporary structures, but the council was quick to point out half of these were “likely to be removed as part of planned school expansion and redevelopment schemes”.

But the council received a blow to its plans for a new primary school for the Davidson Centre as one candidate to run the school pulled out.

Lilac Sky, which normally provides support for schools, has withdrawn its proposal.

It leaves i-Foundation, which runs the first Hindu faith school in the country, and Oasis.

Both candidates have been criticised by shadow education cabinet member Councillor Kathy Bee.

She argued i-Foundation’s school in Harrow had no children with special needs while Oasis Academy Shirley Park received the lowest key stage 2 SATS results in the borough at just 39 per cent.

In response to a question to Coun Bee, the council said: “There is a need for primary school places in that area of the borough and the specification for the new school stressed the need for proposers to demonstrate their track record to establish high quality provision in a short timescale.”