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Schools to get extra places

3/ 1/2002

Last year hundreds of parents in Burnage, Withington and Didsbury were disappointed when they were unable to obtain places for their children at popular local schools.

Now education officers hope the problem will be solved with the creation of 30 more places at Parrs Wood School in Didsbury and a further 60 at Oakwood High in Chorlton.

Chief education officer David Johnston said: "This shows there has been a recognition of the growth in the need for additional high school places.

"It will be enough for next year but not in the longer term."

Changes in admission rules made two years ago meant that guaranteed high school places through traditional 'feeder' primary schools were scrapped.

Council officials maintained that the rules were unlawful but the change brought heartache for parents affected.

Priority for entry became a question of how near you lived to the high school or whether you had brothers or sisters there.

Keith Bradley MP said: "This has been a long and complicated process for many parents who, due to the policy changes, could no longer take a place at one of these schools for granted."

Didsbury councillor and chairman of Manchester City Council's education scrutiny committee, David Sandiford, added: "Our inquiry showed clearly that there were a shortage so I am very pleased that money requested has been released."