Twins Allocated Separate Schools

Mon, May 08, 2006

Source: BBC

Twin girls have been told that because of limited places they will have to attend separate primary schools.

St Joseph's Primary School prioritises practising Catholics. 
 
Twin girls have been told that because of limited places they will have to attend separate primary schools.

Eleanor Frith, aged four, was the last of 17 pupils for the September intake at St Joseph's Roman Catholic Primary School in Dovercourt, Essex.

But her sister, Elizabeth, was turned away and allocated a place at All Saints Primary, which is close by.

St Joseph's head Theresa Macloed told BBC News: "We are not in a position to offer places outside the system."

Own admissions

She said she had every sympathy for Mrs Frith.

"I can imagine that she is very concerned. I would be very concerned as a mother but we are not in a position to offer places outside the system. If I were I would have a crowd outside the gate.

Nobody has used common sense and identified that, hang on a minute, we have twins here. 
 
I have had several phone calls from disappointed parents," she added.

An Essex council spokesman said that St Joseph's sets its own admissions criteria.

Mother of the twins, Joanne, 34, told BBC News: "They (the twins) are just numbers on a roll and it is a case of a cut-off point and when that list is filled up they go on to the next list.

"Nobody has used common sense and identified that, hang on a minute, we have twins here," she added.

The decision came despite the girls' parents writing to Essex County Council and requesting their daughters' application forms be considered together after reading about a similar predicament.

Catholics 'prioritised'

The Friths said they were keen to give their children a Christian education and St Joseph's was their first choice.

But the school prioritises practising Catholics and the twins have not been baptised, reducing their chances of winning a place.

Stephen Castle, council cabinet member for education, said on Monday: "We fully understand the difficult position the family are in. The first and second-choice schools in this case are voluntary aided schools for which the county council is not the admissions authority.

"We have therefore arranged a meeting between the parents, the first-choice school and county council representatives next week.

This meeting will review the matter with the aim of finding a solution," he said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/4984112.stm