For many Belsize parents this week will be a "Make or Break" time of anguish to discover that the "four" choices for LEA Primary School will be turned down with a letter like the extract below taken from many Belsize parents today!
"Reception Coordination September 2009/January 2010.
I am sorry that we were unable to offer a place for childs name at any of the preferred schools listed on your application form."
Parents are being offered only shorter waiting lists for schools miles away from Belsize at Brecknock in N1, Carlton in NW5, Netley in NW1 and so on.
This is a real problem affecting more and more parents in the inner London region and most specifically here in Belsize, which like many other wards in the local area such as Swiss Cottage, does not have a LEA Primary School.
A new school is badly needed here in Belsize as I have campaigned already in the past and blogged before in November 2008. A new school for Belsize was a "key" feature of the Belsize By-election from both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Lets hope that the campaign will become a plan and progress swiftly so that a "new" school in Belsize will be built here soon in the future.
As a School Governor and a parent I understand only too well how difficult a time this is for parents on middle to lower income with no option to send your children to a private school especially here in Belsize where a large number of independent schools are ideally located, but with annual fees of around £12,000 it simply is out of reach of many parents.
Stop Press.. 7th May
Contacted the Camden School Admissions team to discuss this developing trauma for parents. They admit the situation is difficult and that this year the worst on record with the need for primary school access far overstretching demand. It would appear that yet again Belsize is very badly hit with parents requesting places in faith school doing better, especially if application to local school had received a letter from a priest of the local parish.
It would appear that parents are so keen to get a place for their children that apparent spontaneous religious conversions are taking place.
Author: Nigel Rumble
