The Swindon Labour Group Leader, Councillor Jim Grant, promises to undertake a school place review should Labour take control of the Council in 2012. This is part of Labour’s aspiration to provide good local schools for all of Swindon’s children, and so improve on the current unsatisfactory system.
At next year’s local elections in Swindon, one of Labour’s central pledges will be to undertake a thorough review of school places policy throughout Swindon.
Labour believes that Swindon borough Council needs a clear policy on school places that meets the desires of local families to send their children to a good local school. At present, we are seeing in places like North Swindon that schools are so oversubscribed that children living close to their local school are not guaranteed a place. In my own ward I have seen children of primary school age having to travel from Rodbourne to Toothill, despite Even Swindon Primary being on their doorstep.
It is an essential part of the Council’s role in office to ensure that children living near a local school should be able to be a pupil of that school. Currently, the Tory-led council seem unable to provide this critical service.
I know that I speak for the children and parents of Swindon pupils when I call for a clear and comprehensive review of the school places system. If Labour take control of the council, we will undertake such a review and follow expert recommendations to ensure the best provision of education for the children if our town.
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