Bristol school place fiasco forces mum to give up work
A Bristol mum is giving up her job after failing to gain a place for her son at a school close to her home.
Tita Fancy and her family moved to Bristol last July and chose to live in Dugar Walk, off Cranbrook Road, because it was near good primary schools.
But Sufi, who will turn four in August, did not get in to Westbury Park Primary, 600 yards away, even though their home is within its catchment area.
Nor did Bishop Road Primary, 900 yards away, or Henleaze Infant, 1,000 yards away, have any room for him.
Sufi has been offered a place at Cabot Primary, in St Paul's, which is less than a mile as the crow flies but almost two miles on a walking route.
Ms Fancy, 37, said she was leaving her job as a communications director with a charity because the problems over a school place have thrown her childcare plans into chaos.
She had arranged for a nursery to take her younger child, Rezia, and for the same nursery to pick up Sufi from school.
But that would only have worked if she had been given a school place in the same neighbourhood as the nursery.
Ms Fancy and her husband Timothy Scase, 40, a vet, have so far been unlucky in gaining a place at the extra class to be added at Bishop Road School and are going to appeal.
"Had I known what I know now, I would never have moved to Bristol," said Ms Fancy.
"I would not have put my children through this.
"We were living in Cambridge, in the catchment area of a perfectly good primary school.
"We had no idea how bad the situation was in Bristol.
"We chose this house because it was in the catchment area of a good school and within striking distance of other good schools.
"We looked at all the information. No one from this road has failed to get in to Westbury Park in the past.
"We applied on time last October but since January this has caused us a huge amount of stress.
"I have had to give up my job as a communications director for a charity in Bristol because I don't know what I will do with the children next year. I will keep Sufi at part-time nursery until I can get him into a school near here.
"Meanwhile, I have lost a place at nursery for my daughter Rezia, who is two, because of all the uncertainty."
Ms Fancy has joined other parents in LAPSE – Local Access to Primary Education – to try to find solutions to the overall shortage of primary places in Bristol, particularly in Henleaze and Bishopston.
Although the council has organised additional places at a number of schools, Ms Fancy and other parents are concerned that the problems will continue for the next few years.
"The council are doing what they can to paper over what is a lack of places. They say it is a blip this year, but we believe they will be feeling the effects of this for several years," she said.
11 Comments
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by Ned, Bishopston
Wednesday, May 13 2009, 10:07AM
“Andy - what do you care about Bishopston anyway ?
You live in Bedminster with plenty of places for children in good primary schools - why be so interested in BPAC, I am confused as to why you have been infiltrating private yahoo group sites for your own purposes.”
by Andy, Bedminster
Sunday, May 10 2009, 10:45AM
“Hi Karin, I don't really care what you call it in Brooklyn - we happen to be located in Bristol England. As for community organizing - this campaign is a single issue, single class, self-centred campaign that has a single goal - to get children into nearby schools. It completely ignores any effects on other members of the community. There has been no attempt to interact with other interested parties and their concerns have been laughed at. I'm sure this is quite amusing for BPAC members who have now mostly pushed their way into these schools. They can relax and dine out on the campaign stories for years to come. I'm sure this round of summer gin and tonic soirees will be full of loud expressions of the great advances they have made for Bristol's youth.
Just going to be sick now - scuze all !!”
by Karin, Brooklyn
Thursday, May 07 2009, 11:54PM
“Getting involved, taking action, writing letters, and, yes, talking to the media: Terry, perhaps you call that whining. In America, we call it community organizing. Just ask our President.”
by Dan, Bishopston
Thursday, May 07 2009, 6:55PM
“Sorry Terry...can you give me some pointers? How do I go about becoming working class? My grandma was a skivvy at the age of 6 in the 1900's. Do I get points for that? Presumably once I've made the transition I can blissfully ignore what the Council decides to do to me and my family.
Where exactly do you get off criticizing people because of your narrow impression of their background? The council represents everyone, and it's people's own responsibilty to make their voices heard. If your twisted ideas are typical of Labour thinking, no wonder it was so difficult to get anyone to listen. You bleat on and on about people being under-represented and alienated, and then dump on them when they make an effort to get involved. Pathetic.”
by Merriel, St Werburghs
Thursday, May 07 2009, 1:14PM
“Dear Terry - It would be nice if those in control of budgets and policies aimed for perfection and then failed, rather than let substandard ambitions and the acceptance of shoddy as the norm formulate planning. As for your views about about the "vociferous middle-classes" and "bleating whiners", they have never been worth bothering with..I'm proud of what we have had the courage to do.
Let's hope that this year's crisis at least gives impetus for an improvement in performance to occur next year. I'm sure you would agree that a raising of standards would be a good thing.”