Fury over allocation of school placings

May 21 2009 by John Rowbotham, Hamilton Advertiser

A FURIOUS mum this week blasted South Lanarkshire Council’s policy concerning the allocation of school places.

Alison Porter was speaking after she was denied a place for her four-year-old daughter, Emma, at Hamilton’s St John’s Primary - even though her son Callum, aged nine, attends the Dixon Street school.

Mrs Porter, 41-year-old secretary, lives in Hamilton with her husband Hugh (48), a long-distance lorry driver.

The couple previously lived in Newarthill but 10 years ago moved to a house in Earnockwood’s Tiree Grange, part of the catchment area for Neilsland Primary, to be nearer their work.

She added, however, that before buying the house they consulted council officials about schools.

They wanted their children to attend St John’s and Hamilton Grammar, where she had been a pupil.

Mrs Porter said they were told at the time there was an ‘open application’ system in place and parents could, if they wished, opt for a school outwith the catchment area in which they lived.

“We were told every application would be assessed but we were unlikely to encounter any problems with getting the school of our choice.

“It was because of that assurance that we decided to buy the house in Hamilton.

“When Callum was due to go to school, we registered him him with Neilsland Primary but we got a placing request accepted for St John’s.

“He has been happy there and we had hoped that Emma would join him in August.

“We were told that Emma would have a higher priority for a place at St John’s because she has a sibling there.

“We knew there was no guarantee but after our discussions with the council officials when we moved to Hamilton, we thought there would be no problem.

“We were, therefore, surprised and angry to learn that the application for Emma has been refused.”

Mrs Porter said she now faces the problem of having to juggle arrangements to pick up and drop off her children at two different schools.

My husband works away all week and I work full time,” she said.

“Just now, I take my lunch break at 2.30pm in order to collect my son from school.

“When I asked a council official how each day I am to drop off and pick up my two children at two separate schools, at the same time, I was told ‘with all due respect, it’s not the council’s concern.’

She added: “I feel this decision threatens to tear my family apart.”

A spokesman for the council said: “We process all placing requests in line with national legislation and council policy.

“A review of all outstanding placing requests is held every 10 working days and every parent refused a placing request is offered a meeting to discuss further options for their child.

“When a parent signs the placing request form it states clearly that there is no guarantee that a placing request for a younger brother/sister will be successful. The catchment area for St John’s Primary School has not changed since the inception of South Lanarkshire council in 1996.”