The story of 2015
What happened in 2015
In April 2015, 86 families in North East Leeds learned that their child had not been allocated a place at ANY of their 5 preferences of primary school despite choosing local schools including their nearest. A local community of young families were fragmented, their 4 years olds scattered between 10 un-researched primary schools, up to 4 miles away by road.
Lucy was one of those parents. Her daughter Daisy was allocated her 28th nearest primary school, 2.3 miles away (in a straight line) and 3.4 miles away by road along busy routes. She had never heard of the school and knew absolutely nothing about it. Daisy would never walk to school and it would put massive pressure on their already busy lives as working parents.
Her neighbour and Daisy's best friend Elsa had been allocated a different unheard of school in the opposite direction; they would be schooled 5 miles apart from each other.
Having taken the day off in preparation for a stressful day Lucy set about ringing the local council. She was told her only options were to appeal the decision and to get onto the school waiting lists.
Devastated and angry she was determined to take action. She set up a Facebook group and started to find other parents who were affected. It became clear there was a black hole where parents were unable to access any local school.
All but one of the local councillors, Fabian Hamilton, Lesley Savage - Leeds City Council Capacity Planning and Sufficiency Lead, and Judith Blake - Head of Children's Services agreed to meet with parents at 8pm on Friday 24th April at Oakwood Lane Medical Practice where Lucy Clement worked. An estimated 80 parents attended, who had all come together through word-of-mouth via text message and the Facebook page, all within 8 days of learning about their school offer.
It was at this meeting that parents learned that a total of 86 families had not received any of their 5 choices of school. The community learned they had been fragmented, scattered between 10 un-researched primary schools, up to 4 miles away by road.
The data in 2015
The data for 2015 that was obtained afterwards shows clearly why there was a problem, there simply weren't enough places:
| School | Places | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total living nearest | Shortfall in places | ||
| Talbot | 60 | 126 | 66 |
| Wigton Moor | 60 | 68 | 8 |
| Shadwell | 30 | 37 | 7 |
| Highfield | 60 | 88 | 28 |
| Moortown | 30 | 60 | 30 |
| Roundhay | 60 | 54 | -6 |
| Gledhow | 60 | 60 | 0 |
| Moor Allerton | 60 | 44 | -16 |
| Total left over: | 420 | 537 | 117 |
The campaign that followed
A public media campaign ensued over the following 6 weeks putting pressure on Leeds City Council to find a local solution to the school place crisis.
On 6th May, the day before the election, LCC announced that 30 places at Gledhow Primary School had been agreed in time for September 2015. These places were allocated over the next 24 hours but to the frustration of the Fair Access group - due to the allocation policy and location of Gledhow, only 5 places went to families in the group who had had no original choices given to them. The remaining places went to families who did not want their own nearest less-popular school, or schools lower down on their preference list. Some affected families did at least achieve a place on a waiting list school place, but this was not a school they had initially researched or chosen for their child, and in many cases it was one they felt obliged to accept in the context of feeling so desperate. However, it was a positive step towards the goal to secure more places and a sign that LCC acknowledged the cause of the Fair Access group.
Later that month following a rally at Civic Hall, rumours spread that LCC were going to announce some bulge classes at at least 1-2 local schools. On 21st May it was officially announced that Wigton Moor would bulge to accommodate 30 more pupils in time for September 2015. On 22nd May is was confirmed that a further 30 places had been agreed at Highfield Primary School.
The 27th May 2015 was an incredibly triumphant day for the Fair Access group. However the places created at Wigton Moor and Highfield were for 2015 only and a more permanent solution is needed.