PARENTS in St Albans who are angry about a lack of forward planning by the county council to arrange additional places at a local primary school have launched a petition.
Furious mums and dads recently accused Herts county council (HCC) of blighting the lives of their children by allowing extra places to be offered at Prae Wood JMI School in King Harry Lane, and then suddenly decrease forms of entry.
After two consecutive years of a double intake – 60 children – into reception in 2011 and 2012, September next year will see the return to a single intake of just 30 pupils, leaving 36 siblings applying for places.
One of those campaigning for additional places in 2013, Milan Bhatt, said: “I really feel that current process and system of predicting demand for school intakes has to be flawed. I think it really needs a close investigation and a potential overhaul.”
More than 130 signatures have so far been collected for a petition calling on HCC to increase Prae Wood’s reception to 60 places.
Parents have recently been sent a letter from the school explaining that while discussions were continuing with HCC, “unfortunately we still do not have any confirmation of changes for reception places”.
To sign the petition go to: http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/hertfordshire-county-council-increase-intake-to-prae-wood-jmi-for-reception-2013-to-60-places
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