Another Secondary School for Bristol North West
Charlotte Leslie condemn's council decision on Redland Green as 'tantamount to discrimination'
Charlotte Leslie has condemned the decision by Bristol City Council to relegate children living in parts of the city as 'second priority' for admissions to a new school as "tantamount to discrimination".
Charlotte Leslie has been campaigning against the councils' plans to tighten the catchment area of the popular Redland Green School, relegating children living in Stoke Bishop, Westbury-on-Trym and parts of Henleaze to 'second priority'.
The local campaigner recently submitted a petition containing more than200 signatures of concerned parents to the council, together with a full report (link to word doc.) using objective criteria to show why the catchment area should include Stoke Bishop and Westbury-on-Trym.
The area around Redland Green School is already well served by Cotham School, and is to have two more state schools as Bristol Cathedral School and Colstons Girls become academies.
Charlotte said:
Currently, Bristol loses over a fifth of its pupils to schools outside the local authority. That's the worst rate in the country, outside London, which represents an enormous financial drain on the whole city. The majority of children leaving the city do so from North West Bristol.
However, Charlotte has now discovered that the council has dismissed her suggestions, and instead will keep its original, controversial admissions brief.
In response Charlotte, the Prospective Conservative MP for Bristol North West said: "This decision is short-sighted madness, and tantamount to discrimination.
"Many parents living in Westbury-on-Trym and Stoke Bishop feel they are being penalised by the council because of their post-code and that the council expects them to fork out money they don't have to send their children to private schools.
"In wards like Henbury and Avonmouth, results have actually fallen backwards since 1997– especially on children not getting five GCSEs at all. No wonder we are losing over a fifth of our children to other local authorities.
If we are to improve education as a whole across the city, we must keep Bristol children in Bristol's' state schools - that means providing a proper choice of school for parents who need it.
"At the moment, there is a massive drain of Bristol children out of our state schools into other local authorities' schools, or private schools.
"I am delighted that the future is finally beginning to look brighter for both Henbury School, which is now making great improvements, and Portway which is becoming an academy.
"One of the best ways to help these schools flourish is to stop the drain of children and funds from Bristol, and make sure that parents choose to send their child to a school they are happy with in the city.
"Once again, the council has missed an opportunity to make Bristol's education better, and left hundreds of parents feeling they have nowhere to turn."
Michael Gove MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Children,
Schools and Families talks to parents about Redland
Green Catchment area decision:
Charlotte Leslie took Michael Gove MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Children Schools and Families, to visit Elmlea Junior School and to see the fantastic work they do there. It was also an opportunity for parents at Elmlea School and across the area to express their concerns about the Council's decision not to give children from the North West of the city a greater chance of going to the new Redland Green Secondary School.Michael Gove MP and Charlotte Leslie took questions from parents, and discussed Conservatives' plans to allow groups of parents, such as those at Elmlea, to set up a new school if they wished, and to get other education providers invovled.
Charlotte said:
" There has been a historic lack of strategic direction coming from the council house on education, and it is children and parents who are paying the price. It is time the Council stopped blaming parents' choice of school for the state of education in the city, and started thinking strategically about how to do something about it. Their decision not to change the catchment area of Redland Green School is short-sighted and disappointing.
I am delighted that Henbury School is now making improvements, and that Portway School is to become an academy - but the best way to help these schools flourish is to make sure that Bristol children, and the funding that they carry with them, stay in Bristol schools. Bristol loses a greater proportion of its children to other authorities than any other local authority in the country, outside the London boroughs. The Council had a chance to improve things, but has once again failed.
I am going to keep up the pressure to provide these parents with the school they have been wanting for so long. "
Charlotte produced a 17 page report on why the council should re-think the catchment area. You can read it HERE.