School to start four months late for St Margaret’s pupils (Twickenham & Richmond Liberal Democrats)

School to start four months late for St Margaret’s pupils

June 10, 2011 12:54 PM

Orleans infants • THIRTY children in the St Margaret's area look set to start their school life four months late due to the council's failure to provide enough places in time for the start of the school year in September.

There are currently 43 children living in the St Margaret's area who have yet to be offered a place for a reception class this September. After months of inaction and complacency, the Conservative council is finally in talks with Orlean's Infants School and with parents to determine if an extra class can be provided at the school from January 2012: a four month delay in the start of the children's education.

Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Malcolm Eady said: "This was always going to be a very difficult year because of the exceptionally high birth rate in 2007. The new Conservative administration cut the expansion programme we had in place for the St Margaret's area, and for the last 9 months we have been demanding that they put in extra classes."

"The planned expansion at Orleans Infants, which we proposed in February 2010 and which the new Conservative administration put on hold, has still not got the go ahead. The Conservatives seem to lack any sense of urgency to solve the problem. The birth rate has not dropped significantly, and we know we will need more new sites. None have been forthcoming. We have reports and press statements, but no positive action. The administration's hope is that "something will turn up". If they are waiting for money from the government, then they may have a very long time to wait."

• Education "White" Paper: Provision Of High Quality Places In Education [Cabinet paper 06.12.10]

• Choice and diversity: putting policy into practice: The Authority's 10-year strategy for providing high quality primary school places [December 2010]

• Choice and diversity: a policy paper for Education and Children's Services 2010

• Youngsters must wait till January to start school [Richmond Informer Jun 14]