Bristol schools chief's second apology over primary places fiasco

Families who are still waiting for reception class places for their children in September have been given a further apology by Bristol City Council's acting schools chief.

Interim director Annie Hudson told a meeting of the children's services scrutiny commission on Monday, March 30, that she had already apologised to the parents who attended a meeting at the Council House to discuss the crisis.

She repeated the message to the councillors, who heard how hundreds of children in east, central and north Bristol were yet to be allocated places.

"There were undoubtedly a number of failures in terms of timing, preparation and communication," she said.

Ms Hudson said the council was confident of having enough places for the 279 on-time applicants waiting for places and the 297 – and rising – late applicants.

She said parents should receive an offer of a school place within the next couple of weeks.

Anthony Austin, of the National Union of Head Teachers, said many primary heads, especially those directly affected, were in despair at the situation.

"NAHT fails to understand why the local authority finds itself in the position it now faces over what is a 'bread and butter' ongoing intelligence data gathering exercise," he said.

Clare Campion-Smith, Lib Dem cabinet councillor for children, told the meeting that lessons must be learned from the problems this yea. A review would be carried out, she said.

The issue will be discussed again at a full meeting of the city council on Tuesday, March 31.

Tory Councillor John Goulandris, who yesterday said that Mrs Campion-Smith had had a "veritable baptism of fire in inheriting the admissions fiasco", is calling for urgent action to deal with the chronic shortfall of places.