Nottinghamshire's school offers system has been branded "unacceptable" as a councillor says she has heard of 12 children allocated places two hours away. Families across the country have recently been finding out if their child was successful in getting a place at their preferred secondary school from September.
Nottinghamshire Live recently reported on Michael Chinery, of Ruddington, whose step daughter has been offered a school place in Eastwood. That's 15 miles away from their home and Mr Chinery says the journey on the bus could take around two hours.
Labour's Councillor Penny Gowland, the county councillor for the West Bridgford North ward, now says she has heard 12 Rushcliffe children have been offered schools in Eastwood. Councillor Gowland said: "This is completely unreasonable and I have written to the county council over the weekend about this.
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"We are due to have an expansion at the Rushcliffe Spencer Academy but that won't be until September 2024. It feels unfair that this year's children should have to suffer and we need a temporary solution for them and their families."
Nottinghamshire County Council did not comment on Councillor Gowland's specific call for a temporary solution for this year's families. But the authority said it was unable to "compel" schools to accommodate additional demand and that it monitors pupil projections across all areas of the county.
Peter McConnochie, Nottinghamshire County Council's Service Director for Education, Learning and Inclusion, said: "We repeatedly advise parents to make use of their four preferences and, despite this, 65 percent of parents and carers in Rushcliffe did not. If families are dissatisfied with an offer, they can lodge an appeal and details are available on our website."
But reacting to the news about the number of families affected, Michael Chinery said: "Clearly there are not enough school places for children in this area, but the problem I have is the distance that they are then being sent instead. I haven't been able to tell [my step daughter] yet and I'm hoping it gets resolved in the meantime.
"She would be really upset if she thought she was having to go as far as Eastwood. It's such a shame because she's a really promising student as well."
Nottinghamshire County Council says "considerable additional places" have been provided in Rushcliffe, with several schools offering to admit more children than their published admission number. The county also said that the Rushcliffe Spencer Academy expansion would deliver 450 additional places across years 7 to 11.
But Councillor Gowland added: "We do need to have that temporary solution for this year's families. It also seems a bit daft that the children will be changing buses in the city to then make the onward journey to Eastwood. Some partnership working with the city might help to get children school places at least a little bit closer to home."
Peter McConnochie added: "This year, the vast majority of children in Nottinghamshire have been allocated a place at their preferred school. In Rushcliffe, 91 percent of families were offered their top preference school, and 97 percent received one of their preferences.
"Demand for school places in the Rushcliffe area is high, so when a particular school receives more applications than places available, the school's own oversubscription criteria is applied. The local authority seeks to offer a place at the next preferred school, places allowing."
Nottinghamshire County Council advised parents to read the admission and oversubscription criteria of each school, so they have the best opportunity of meeting it. The authority also said a parent or carer should accept the offer they are given, even if they're not happy with it, whilst appealing so their child is not left without a place at the start of term.
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