Siblings at the Same School group speaks to sway senior councillors

MHLC-24-04-12 School admissions APR82 Mums from the left, Juliette Ledsham,Hayley Hindle, and Ellie Costello who is Campaigning to change Second admissions in LEA with daughter Elldie three, children have not been offered places with their older brothers and sister. ENGNNL00120120424152550

Members of Satss – Siblings at the Same School – spoke to the Warwickshire County Council cabinet, which was recommended to scrap what was termed a super priority school admission area for Warwick.

In its place councillors were advised to consider a two-year pilot scheme for Warwick and Leamington, starting in September 2016.

It would give admission priority for children with special education needs and those in council care or adopted.

Next would be children with older siblings at the same school.

The next in line would be those living within a school’s priority area. Those living outside of it would be last.

Satss was set up by mums Hayley Hindley, of Warwick, and Ellie Costello, of Leamington, in April 2012.

Hayley found to her consternation that her middle son could not join her oldest at Coten End Primary.

And like many others she found that different start and finish times, parent evenings, teacher-training days and school events parents are expected to attend were hard to manage, saying: “It just became unbearable to juggle.”

She had to move her oldest to a school where she knew her middle son would have a better chance of attending.

She added: “We believe the right thing is that siblings are given a high priority.

“But we are not saying that if children move away from the area – if people move they should be prepared to move schools as well.”

The county cabinet meeting was held after this week’s Courier/KWN went to press.