School selection system is failing

2:35pm Friday 28th March 2008

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I am writing in response to the report about the number of Sutton children without a secondary school place for September 2008.

I put three Sutton schools down for my daughter, two which were out of the borough. She did not get an offer from any of them.

I know I am not the only one as five other girls in her year at school were also without a place.

I am told by the admissions team that this year they are finding it hard to place girls and that the only school that has spaces is Carshalton Boys.

She is now on the waiting list for five Sutton schools.

I was also told that I missed the Greenshaw catchment area by 20 metres, which we were gutted about and are going to appeal against the decision.

To add insult to injury, I was sent a letter with a list of Croydon schools that have places. They ranged from Addiscombe, Selsdon, Norwood to Shirley, to name but a few. The schools named were obviously the worst in Croydon.

There is absolutely no way I would send my 11-year-old daughter on the bus, on her own, all that way only to arrive at a problem school. I would rather home school her than it come to that.

I was also told that if I had listed Carshalton Girls I definitely would have got in, the reason I didn't is because I have a younger son and I wanted them to both be at the same school.

I have had to go back on that decision and put it on my list so she has more of a chance of getting a school within this borough.

I also am aware of children in Sutton getting two choices which is not suppose to happen because of the pan-London system in which information is passed between the boroughs to ensure that all students are offered only one place.

This system is obviously failing. Not only between the boroughs but within Sutton.

I hope all these children get a place in a Sutton school for September. Fingers crossed.

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