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Rules leave pupil out in the cold

Marie Burchill
24/ 4/2008

A MUM-of-four has hit out after her daughter has been refused a primary school place – even though the youngster already attends the school’s nursery and two of her elder siblings were educated there.

Vicci Davis, who lives on the Nell Lane estate in Chorlton, has slammed the decision made by school admission bosses which means that her three-year-old daughter – Caysie-Jo – has been turned away from Chorlton C of E primary school.

Caysie-Jo has been a pupil at the Vicars Road school’s nursery for the last year and was due to start in the reception class in January of next year – Chorlton C of E has two reception class intakes, one in September and another in the following January.

However, three-year-old Caysie-Jo must now face the possibility of saying good-bye to the group of school friends she has built up as she sits on a waiting list in the hope that she will get a place at Chorlton C of E.

Mum Vicci, 33, said: "I can’t believe that we are in this situation. My son only left the school last summer and my eldest daughter was also educated at Chorlton C of E, so I have had connections with the school for the last ten years.

"To find out that Caysie-Jo doesn’t have a place is just devastating.

"School places at Chorlton C of E have been given to children who aren’t even in the nursery. It feels as if we are just being pushed away."

Vicci has also criticised the schools admission procedure – which is now dealt with by Manchester City Council’s Local Education Authority, rather than individual schools.

Vicci said: "Letters are being sent out to parents saying that their children have places at Chorlton C of E, but it doesn’t have a deadline by which they need to let the school know if their child will be attending.

"So the school may find that they have places available after the beginning of the academic year. But by that time children like Caysie-Jo will already have been placed in their second choice schools.

"That would result in so much disruption, not to mention the possible expense of having to pay out for two new uniforms."

Vicci’s other two children, Raymon-Kane and Chelsea-Ray were both educated at Chorlton C of E primary school. Raymon-Kane left the school last summer and Chelsea-Ray left four years ago – the two are now in Year 7 and Year 10 at Chorlton High.

If either of Caysie-Jo’s older siblings were still at the school, she would have been guaranteed a place at Chorlton C of E primary school. Vicci has also appealed against the decision and is waiting for a hearing date to be set.

A spokesman for Manchester City Council said: "All admissions into schools must be made in accordance with the Schools Admissions’ Code set by Government.

"Caysie-Jo did not get a place at Chorlton C of E Primary because there were more applications than places available, which meant that places had to be allocated in strict accordance with the school’s published admissions’ policy.

"Caysie’s application was considered alongside that of all other children applying for places at the school who also do not have siblings in school, and, in line with this policy, the remaining available places were allocated to those families who lived nearest to the school."