An Important Appeal about School Places
It's a blessing that some of the children of our Parish were able to gain places in the schools of their choice, but sadly many were unable to gain a place in a Catholic School at all. Our Borough, like many of the Boroughs in London, has a shortage of school places and a distinct shortage of nursery places. This lack of planning and funding means that a growing number of children are fighting a smaller number of places - both in Primary and Secondary education. Since arriving in the Parish and making a deliberate attempt to build up the sense of welcome for families and individuals in our community, our Parish has grown by 40%, with over a quarter of the Parish being school-aged children.
However, the reality is that our local schools take a greater number of children from those Parishes which are seen to have a direct link with the school. I have written to the Schools' Commission to urgently request that the inequity within the allocation of school places be immediately addressed. I have respectfully requested that each school, both Primary and Secondary, be required to publish, on the basis of a fair and transparent policy, how many school places will be offered to each Parish within the Deanery so that the children of our Parish have an equal chance of gaining a place. It is vital that each family and those who support Catholic education in our Parish write to the Commission to express their concern and highlight just how much the children of our Parish need a fair and equal chance of gaining a place in a Catholic school. For more information see Fr Adrian, but please write to: Dr Dilys Wadman, Director of Education, St Edward's House, St Paul's Wood Hill, Orpington BR5 2SR Thank you, Fr Adrian.
Letter from Fr Adrian to Dr Wadman
Open letter from Fr Adrian regarding school applications
Appointment with the parish priest
Parents who are considering applying for a school or nursery should make an appointment to discuss the matter with our parish priest as early as possible, as admissions criteria and procedures can be difficult to understand and he can help families with this important task.
Details of all Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Southwark can be found on the diocesan website for the Commission for Schools and Colleges at www.rcsouthwark.org.uk/schools/index.php.
For more information on local schools, please follow the links on the left to "primary schools" and "secondary schools".
News
The Crier features all the latest news from schools and colleges in the Archdiocese of Southwark:
http://www.rcsouthwark.org.uk/news/index.php
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