School places website failure leaves thousands seeking answers (From Your Local Guardian)

School places website failure leaves thousands seeking answers

11:04am Tuesday 2nd March 2010 in

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A technological collapse in New Malden has left thousands of London and Surrey parents in the dark about their child’s school place this morning.

Pan London Coordinated Admissions Scheme, a website where residents from Surrey and the 33 London boroughs can check school places, had been unavailable from about 7am.

But it is understood the system was restored at 11.46am.

Dawn Spragg, a Wimbledon parent and school governor, has been waiting since 5am to find out whether her 10-year-old daughter got one of her preferred places.

She said: “I am appalled at the state of affairs. There was a problem last year with the system crashing so how any excuse can be made for this year is beyond me.

“I have had so many text messages my phone is in meltdown. The stress on parents and children alike is overwhelming.

“This is the final straw. Heads should definitely roll for this. Whatever happened to education, education, education?”

Malcolm Greenaway, a former IT engineer, said he was “disgusted” that the fault should prolong an already anxious wait for many parents.

He said: “I think it’s absolutely disgusting that the Government doesn’t take control of this process. The government should be running this, not a charity.”

The London Grid for Learning Trust, a charity based in the CI Tower in New Malden High Street, commissioned Atomwide Plc to maintain the website on its behalf. Both have refused to comment about the malfunction.

A spokeswoman for London Councils said: “At the moment we are working to find out the information from the company which maintains the website.”

A notice on Surrey County Council’s website read: “Due to technical difficulties Pan London is currently unavailable March 2, 2010. We are liaising with the site provider to keep you informed. We will update this page as soon as we are notified of any changes to the current situation.”

Atomwide Plc said an urgent investigation was under way.

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