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Youngsters face trek to new school
Children aged just four will have to travel three miles each day to go to
school.
Parents in Brighton today said their worst fears had been realised by
their primary school allocations for September.
At least six families from the Seven Dials area have missed out on places at
any of the area's primaries, which are all oversubscribed.
Their children have been sent to Fairlight Primary, off Lewes Road,
Brighton, instead.
The school is a mile and a half from their homes and has been unpopular
because of poor results.
The situation has been made worse this year by the Government enforced
implementation of an equal preference allocation system, which replaced the
old first preference first scheme.
It means that a parent who lives close to a school but only lists it as
their third preference for their child will get a place ahead of someone who
lives further away but made it their first choice.
7:13pm Monday 12th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Rob, Brighton on 7:44pm Mon 12 May 08
Oooh 1.5 miles - big deal! I know that a lot of people in this town are incapable of using their legs for anything other than pushing the pedals in their car, but come on 1.5 miles? What's the fuss?
Saying that, they'll probably drive the kids to school no matter what the distance is.
Oooh 1.5 miles - big deal! I know that a lot of people in this town are incapable of using their legs for anything other than pushing the pedals in their car, but come on 1.5 miles? What's the fuss?
Saying that, they'll probably drive the kids to school no matter what the distance is.
Posted by: bobby bigballs, Brighton on 7:51pm Mon 12 May 08
I think 1.5 miles each way is a long way to travel for 4 year olds. You have to pick them up at lunchtime as well and if you have several other children it can be a nightmare especially in bad weather. Why cant kids just go to their nearest school like we used too.?
I think 1.5 miles each way is a long way to travel for 4 year olds. You have to pick them up at lunchtime as well and if you have several other children it can be a nightmare especially in bad weather. Why cant kids just go to their nearest school like we used too.?
Posted by: Carol Voderman, Dictionary Corner on 8:04pm Mon 12 May 08
"Younsters face trek to new school"
What are younsters?
"Younsters face trek to new school"
What are younsters?
Posted by: william of orange, Brighton on 8:24pm Mon 12 May 08
[quote][bold]Carol Voderman[/bold] wrote:
"Younsters face trek to new school" What are younsters?[/quote] Younsters come from Dudley..and are a bit like a Ginsters but with a higher meat and lower fat content.
I also made the word "sterny" Carol is it a real word and do I get any points for that?
No - shame ...I'll have a vowel then please...
Carol Voderman wrote:
"Younsters face trek to new school" What are younsters?
Younsters come from Dudley..and are a bit like a Ginsters but with a higher meat and lower fat content.
I also made the word "sterny" Carol is it a real word and do I get any points for that?
No - shame ...I'll have a vowel then please...
Posted by: in the know, nr 7 dials on 8:32pm Mon 12 May 08
Is this news? If the article had praised a local school for adding a 4th intake class to cope with the increased demand then it might be more relevant and informative. This rag prefers to report on whinging parents rather than any real developments.
Is this news? If the article had praised a local school for adding a 4th intake class to cope with the increased demand then it might be more relevant and informative. This rag prefers to report on whinging parents rather than any real developments.
Posted by: The Wombat, Zog on 8:42pm Mon 12 May 08
I agree with Rob. I bet mummy or daddy is quite capable of getting the four-wheel drive into gear to drop the little loves off. Even at four years old, a bit of exercise won't hurt.
I bet if they were taking them to a friends birthday party or some-such, a mile-and-ahalf would be perfectly acceptable. Or if mummy and daddy were having an early evening G&T with the Smith-Gores they would manage to travel a couple of miles.
I agree with Rob. I bet mummy or daddy is quite capable of getting the four-wheel drive into gear to drop the little loves off. Even at four years old, a bit of exercise won't hurt.
I bet if they were taking them to a friends birthday party or some-such, a mile-and-ahalf would be perfectly acceptable. Or if mummy and daddy were having an early evening G&T with the Smith-Gores they would manage to travel a couple of miles.
Posted by: Mrs Doubtfire on 8:53pm Mon 12 May 08
This is a huge problem for the city. There are not enough schools in the right places, and the council seems intent on building more flats and cramming in more people than building the infrastructure to cope with the changes. For many it is not about the best school, but just getting into a school relativelt near to where they live. Before you start moaning about parents using cars on the school run, perhaps you should walk from Central Hove to Portslade twice a day with a four year old (oh, and don't mention the buses, it is impossible to fit a buggy on that time of the morning).
This is a huge problem for the city. There are not enough schools in the right places, and the council seems intent on building more flats and cramming in more people than building the infrastructure to cope with the changes. For many it is not about the best school, but just getting into a school relativelt near to where they live. Before you start moaning about parents using cars on the school run, perhaps you should walk from Central Hove to Portslade twice a day with a four year old (oh, and don't mention the buses, it is impossible to fit a buggy on that time of the morning).
Posted by: tanya on 9:11pm Mon 12 May 08
my children went to fairlight, there is nothing wrong with this school, in fact its a great school, so be greatfull you havent got a really bad one. THE TEACHERS REALLY CARE.
my children went to fairlight, there is nothing wrong with this school, in fact its a great school, so be greatfull you havent got a really bad one. THE TEACHERS REALLY CARE.
Posted by: Peter, Brighton on 9:57pm Mon 12 May 08
Whats the big deal,,maybe the walk will stop them turning into the little fat porkers we see waddling out of mummies 4x4,,walking will help their mummies lose their flab too ,,so get walking .[bold]bold[/bold]
Whats the big deal,,maybe the walk will stop them turning into the little fat porkers we see waddling out of mummies 4x4,,walking will help their mummies lose their flab too ,,so get walking .
Posted by: LAJS on 10:43pm Mon 12 May 08
It is ridiculous that kids should have to pass several schools on their way to a school miles away because the council can't do their planning properly. The council know how many kids lives in an area and should make sure that they can get into a local school, rather than having to trek through several major, hard traffic roads to get to school. Have you tried to walk safely with a 4 year old kid who has just been let out of school, it is pretty dangerous at the best of times. If you are a working parents it is even more of a nightmare to get to and from school and still manage to get your work hours in. This is also in the light of the council spending large sums of money to encourage people to walk and cycle to school and work. Would not it make sense to look at the councils planning of local facilities such as compulsory schools and safe roads to school be the the first thing to look at?
It is ridiculous that kids should have to pass several schools on their way to a school miles away because the council can't do their planning properly. The council know how many kids lives in an area and should make sure that they can get into a local school, rather than having to trek through several major, hard traffic roads to get to school. Have you tried to walk safely with a 4 year old kid who has just been let out of school, it is pretty dangerous at the best of times. If you are a working parents it is even more of a nightmare to get to and from school and still manage to get your work hours in. This is also in the light of the council spending large sums of money to encourage people to walk and cycle to school and work. Would not it make sense to look at the councils planning of local facilities such as compulsory schools and safe roads to school be the the first thing to look at?
Posted by: paul, brighton on 10:59pm Mon 12 May 08
[quote][bold]LAJS[/bold] wrote:
It is ridiculous that kids should have to pass several schools on their way to a school miles away because the council can't do their planning properly. The council know how many kids lives in an area and should make sure that they can get into a local school, rather than having to trek through several major, hard traffic roads to get to school. Have you tried to walk safely with a 4 year old kid who has just been let out of school, it is pretty dangerous at the best of times. If you are a working parents it is even more of a nightmare to get to and from school and still manage to get your work hours in. This is also in the light of the council spending large sums of money to encourage people to walk and cycle to school and work. Would not it make sense to look at the councils planning of local facilities such as compulsory schools and safe roads to school be the the first thing to look at?[/quote] What you say is quite correct, but you entirely miss the point -- education doesn't come into the argument -- it is purely and simply class warfare - lazy, poor marxists wanting to drag down the aspiring middle classes.
LAJS wrote:
It is ridiculous that kids should have to pass several schools on their way to a school miles away because the council can't do their planning properly. The council know how many kids lives in an area and should make sure that they can get into a local school, rather than having to trek through several major, hard traffic roads to get to school. Have you tried to walk safely with a 4 year old kid who has just been let out of school, it is pretty dangerous at the best of times. If you are a working parents it is even more of a nightmare to get to and from school and still manage to get your work hours in. This is also in the light of the council spending large sums of money to encourage people to walk and cycle to school and work. Would not it make sense to look at the councils planning of local facilities such as compulsory schools and safe roads to school be the the first thing to look at?
What you say is quite correct, but you entirely miss the point -- education doesn't come into the argument -- it is purely and simply class warfare - lazy, poor marxists wanting to drag down the aspiring middle classes.
Posted by: crazy, situation on 11:18pm Mon 12 May 08
Families and children are suffering because the government wants to unrealisticly improve some school statistics at the expense of others.
Kids should go to their nearest school,its simple and it worked fine for many generations,kids now have to suffer so that the government can try to fiddle the figures.Just because some areas like Whitehawk have poor performance results,they make everyone else suffer,thinking that mixing things up so kids from average areas are forced to go to school with kids from the other areas is a pathetic idea,now we have disruptive badly brought up kids spread all over the place,dragging ALL the schools down to sink estate level with them,its so unfair on the good kids that actually want to learn.And to make it worse,it is causing huge amounts of traffic and pollution.
Families and children are suffering because the government wants to unrealisticly improve some school statistics at the expense of others.
Kids should go to their nearest school,its simple and it worked fine for many generations,kids now have to suffer so that the government can try to fiddle the figures.Just because some areas like Whitehawk have poor performance results,they make everyone else suffer,thinking that mixing things up so kids from average areas are forced to go to school with kids from the other areas is a pathetic idea,now we have disruptive badly brought up kids spread all over the place,dragging ALL the schools down to sink estate level with them,its so unfair on the good kids that actually want to learn.And to make it worse,it is causing huge amounts of traffic and pollution.
Posted by: LB, Hove on 9:18am Tue 13 May 08
The biggest problem with primary provision in Brighton and Hove is the number of schools that use religious belief as their first filter for potential pupils.
It skews the catchment areas for all the other schools in the city and leads to the situation described above.
If all schools funded by tax payers money used the same entrance criteria based on distance the situation would be significantly better for both primary and secondary education in this city.
The fact that we have state funded relgious (primarily Christian) schools in this country is, frankly, outrageous.
The biggest problem with primary provision in Brighton and Hove is the number of schools that use religious belief as their first filter for potential pupils.
It skews the catchment areas for all the other schools in the city and leads to the situation described above.
If all schools funded by tax payers money used the same entrance criteria based on distance the situation would be significantly better for both primary and secondary education in this city.
The fact that we have state funded relgious (primarily Christian) schools in this country is, frankly, outrageous.
Posted by: jo, brighton on 9:20am Tue 13 May 08
[quote][bold]crazy[/bold] wrote:
Families and children are suffering because the government wants to unrealisticly improve some school statistics at the expense of others. Kids should go to their nearest school,its simple and it worked fine for many generations,kids now have to suffer so that the government can try to fiddle the figures.Just because some areas like Whitehawk have poor performance results,they make everyone else suffer,thinking that mixing things up so kids from average areas are forced to go to school with kids from the other areas is a pathetic idea,now we have disruptive badly brought up kids spread all over the place,dragging ALL the schools down to sink estate level with them,its so unfair on the good kids that actually want to learn.And to make it worse,it is causing huge amounts of traffic and pollution.[/quote] whitehawk is a very good school!
crazy wrote:
Families and children are suffering because the government wants to unrealisticly improve some school statistics at the expense of others. Kids should go to their nearest school,its simple and it worked fine for many generations,kids now have to suffer so that the government can try to fiddle the figures.Just because some areas like Whitehawk have poor performance results,they make everyone else suffer,thinking that mixing things up so kids from average areas are forced to go to school with kids from the other areas is a pathetic idea,now we have disruptive badly brought up kids spread all over the place,dragging ALL the schools down to sink estate level with them,its so unfair on the good kids that actually want to learn.And to make it worse,it is causing huge amounts of traffic and pollution.
whitehawk is a very good school!
Posted by: !!!, Brighton on 9:50am Tue 13 May 08
[quote][bold]The Wombat[/bold] wrote:
I agree with Rob. I bet mummy or daddy is quite capable of getting the four-wheel drive into gear to drop the little loves off. Even at four years old, a bit of exercise won\'t hurt. I bet if they were taking them to a friends birthday party or some-such, a mile-and-ahalf would be perfectly acceptable. Or if mummy and daddy were having an early evening G&T with the Smith-Gores they would manage to travel a couple of miles.[/quote] Bang on!!! 3 miles a day, even for a young child, can only be a good thing. As for people continually using their cars to take their over-protected kids to school...you wonder why the end up spoilt. I've got a 7 year old and one who's 5 today, and I'll walk them as and when it is convenient. Too dependable on cars. Walking seems to be the only exercise I can fit in these days. Why don't we just ban 4x4's, unless there is valid reason for having one. Kids...get some exercise, stop whining, and parents...get fit!!!
The Wombat wrote:
I agree with Rob. I bet mummy or daddy is quite capable of getting the four-wheel drive into gear to drop the little loves off. Even at four years old, a bit of exercise won\'t hurt. I bet if they were taking them to a friends birthday party or some-such, a mile-and-ahalf would be perfectly acceptable. Or if mummy and daddy were having an early evening G&T with the Smith-Gores they would manage to travel a couple of miles.
Bang on!!! 3 miles a day, even for a young child, can only be a good thing. As for people continually using their cars to take their over-protected kids to school...you wonder why the end up spoilt. I've got a 7 year old and one who's 5 today, and I'll walk them as and when it is convenient. Too dependable on cars. Walking seems to be the only exercise I can fit in these days. Why don't we just ban 4x4's, unless there is valid reason for having one. Kids...get some exercise, stop whining, and parents...get fit!!!
Posted by: david cameron-young, abingdon on 10:40am Tue 13 May 08
you are now seeing the results of the over-population of central brighton. too many people living in areas with not enough schools. before planning permission is granted for new homes, whether they are houses or flats, schools and transport infrastructure have to be in place. it is a shame that these youngsters will have to travel 1 1/2 miles to school, but the seven dials area is an affluent part of the city with a high population density. unless the council will agree to another school in this area you wil always have these problems, not only at primary level, but, as we have already seen, at secondary level too.
you are now seeing the results of the over-population of central brighton. too many people living in areas with not enough schools. before planning permission is granted for new homes, whether they are houses or flats, schools and transport infrastructure have to be in place. it is a shame that these youngsters will have to travel 1 1/2 miles to school, but the seven dials area is an affluent part of the city with a high population density. unless the council will agree to another school in this area you wil always have these problems, not only at primary level, but, as we have already seen, at secondary level too.
Posted by: bob, lewes on 11:03am Tue 13 May 08
Pathetic moaning parents..stop press..having kids means a commitment in terms of time and "inconvenience", there is also no legal guarantee your kids can go to the nerest school wherever you may live. If you dont like it then move somewhere different, is suspect many affceted have the means to get around this problem anyway..
Wake up, sometimes you cant have everything in life you want..
Pathetic moaning parents..stop press..having kids means a commitment in terms of time and "inconvenience", there is also no legal guarantee your kids can go to the nerest school wherever you may live. If you dont like it then move somewhere different, is suspect many affceted have the means to get around this problem anyway..
Wake up, sometimes you cant have everything in life you want..
Posted by: Moose, Brighton on 11:48am Tue 13 May 08
Three miles or 1.5 miles?!
Yes 7 dials to Lewes Road isn't ideal... BUT... a mile and a half walk/cycle wouldn't hurt anyone? Or why not set up a group walk/cycle to school, or car share etc? Means parents and kids get off their backsides and reduces traffic, can't see the down side to that?
I can understand that fitting the hours around work is a pain, but if you have kids you must have realised that you'd have to work your life around them and be prepared to do so...?
Three miles or 1.5 miles?!
Yes 7 dials to Lewes Road isn't ideal... BUT... a mile and a half walk/cycle wouldn't hurt anyone? Or why not set up a group walk/cycle to school, or car share etc? Means parents and kids get off their backsides and reduces traffic, can't see the down side to that?
I can understand that fitting the hours around work is a pain, but if you have kids you must have realised that you'd have to work your life around them and be prepared to do so...?
Posted by: Andi on 11:51am Tue 13 May 08
A mile and a half is only too much when it's the distance to what is regarded as a 'bad' school. I wonder how many parents would be moaning and groaning if it were a mile and a half to to an 'excellent' school? - very few I suspect.
A mile and a half is only too much when it's the distance to what is regarded as a 'bad' school. I wonder how many parents would be moaning and groaning if it were a mile and a half to to an 'excellent' school? - very few I suspect.
Posted by: Joe, Hove on 11:51am Tue 13 May 08
1.5 miles? Is that all? When I was a kid (25 years ago) my nearest school was 1.5 miles away. No buses, or cars to take me to school, i walked, or rode my bicycle, and because of that i wasn't fat, and am still not fat.
Besides, it's good exercise for the kids, and will help them stay healthy.
1.5 miles? Is that all? When I was a kid (25 years ago) my nearest school was 1.5 miles away. No buses, or cars to take me to school, i walked, or rode my bicycle, and because of that i wasn't fat, and am still not fat.
Besides, it's good exercise for the kids, and will help them stay healthy.
Posted by: NotRecommended on 4:16pm Wed 14 May 08
Children who have to walk long distances to school, run the risk to reduce the school attendance and drop school in the long run.
Children who have to walk long distances to school, run the risk to reduce the school attendance and drop school in the long run.
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