Live chat with Councillor Mrs. Kathy Tracey Locked

[Annabel (admin)]

Tomorrow at 2pm until 3pm we will be hosting a "chat" with Councillor Kathy Tracey.

As the Wandsworth Cabinet Member for Education and Children's Services I expect you may have some extremely interesting questions.

http://ww3.wandsworth.gov.uk/moderngov/ ... px?UID=901

Please post your questions here and from 2pm tomorrow Councillor Tracey will start answering them!

Thank you!

[WannaBe]

Thank you Annabel. I was wondering if the Councillor could tell us about the shortage of primary school places in Wandsworth and if anything will be done to tackle this problem.

Kind regards,

Wandsworth Mum of a Toddler

[Wheresmyschool?]

Hi
There have been LOTS of discussions about renting to get into a school catchment area.

What is the Wandsworth Council policy on this?

Tks

[hayfeversufferer]

A local school, Rutherford House, has been mentioned on this forum with regard to some allegedly interesting practices on pupil recruitment.

http://www.nappyvalleynet.com/mums/view ... hp?t=39702

What is the councils position on this?

Do you have any powers to intervene if necessary?

[KathyTracey]

Dear Wandsworth Mum of a Toddler

The council so far has managed to keep ahead of the game and over the last three years we have expanded by 25 reception classes. Some of these have been provided by expanding existing schools and some by our three new free schools.

[KathyTracey]

Re: school catchment areas and renting

This is a difficult one because for various reasons people do have to rent property and understandably should expect to be able to get their children into their local school.

The council does check the council tax register to ensure that this is their main home and not just a short-term rental, and that council tax is not being paid on another property.

We are looking at how other local authorities are tackling this issue to see if there is anything they are doing that we should be doing, but it's not an easy problem to solve.

[Wheresmyschool?]

But if I can step in!

Are you saying that the Council DOES believe renting to get a place is wrong?

Or you DON'T believe it is wrong?

[papinian]

What is Wandsworth Council's view on Mosaic Jewish Primary School's failure to correctly establish admission arrangements. Last month the Office of Schools Adjudicator found, following a complaint, that the admission arrangements for September 2013 had not been correctly determined, e.g. public consultation not followed.

I appreciate that Mosaic Jewish Primary School is a free school and its admissions are not a matter for Wandsworth Council. However, shouldn't Wandsworth Council be fulfilling its policing role (e.g. making a complaint itself) rather than leaving it to local residents to do so. I note that even though it was consulted by the Office of Schools Adjudicator Wandsworth Council failed to say anything about the complaint made.

Mosaic Jewish Primary School hasn't even come close to filling the 30 places for September 2013 admission - its first year - and most of its pupils are from outside of Wandsworth Council area. Yet huge amounts of resources are being spent on it that could be spend on hard-pressed overcrowded schools in areas of the borough. Is that fair?

[NorthcoteLuvvie]

Can I ask what percentage of pupils were unable to get a place at Bolingbroke Academy?

As in how oversubscribed?

[KathyTracey]

Re: Rutherford House

I'm happy that so many parents on the thread are very happy with their new school. The building works are extensive and by next September will be complete, giving Wandsworth another fully-functioning primary school.

I think it's fair to say that Rutherford House has a much wider catchment area this year than some of their neighbouring schools - a situation I don't expect to continue once their good reputation becomes more widely known.

[KathyTracey]

Re: renting to get a school place

Yes, renting a property just to get a school place is wrong and unfair, and the council certainly does not condone it in any way.

[hayfeversufferer]

Hi
Surely this discussion is only to going work if you actually answer questions that we ask!

I was asking if you can intervene if there HAVE been any recruitment issues which are not "best practice"?

They've effectively been accused of some pretty rum goings on and I'd like to understand if that has registered or even a concern?

Tks

[Wheresmyschool?]

Thank you for clarifying.

Are there plans to restrict this practice? And what actually can be done?

Tks

[KathyTracey]

Re: Rutherford House

The council knows of no 'intersting practices' on pupil recruitment. If there is a particular accusation then I will look into it.

[WannaBe]

Thank you. Are there any plans to expand Honeywell and Belleville? I know these schools are overly subscribed and there is a bit of a hype BUT they are very local to a lot of people that cannot get in and have to face quite a track otherwise. I suspect this may be because of the sibling policy...