A new group campaigning for more primary school places in the south western part of Enfield borough held its first meeting on 25th June. SWEAT - the South West Enfield Admissions Team - was set up at the initiative of the Fox Lane and District Residents' Association (FLDRA) and will negotiate with Enfield Council. The Team currently has six members, most of whom are parents of school children, but wish to recruit a few more people - if you are interested in joining, you should send a message via the FDRA website's Contact Us page. For general information about the campaign for more primary school places, see the We Want Local Schools website.
One of the first actions of the new team will be to consider Enfield Council's written responses to a list of 22 questions that were raised at a public meeting held on 30th April. Issues addressed include:
- allegations that some parents are fraudulently claiming to live in locations that would help their children get places at Walker School
- alternative options for children who cannot get places at Walker School
- the possibility of expanding Walker School
- catchment areas and priority zones for schools
- the availability of funds for expanding schools
- the Council's strategy for developing schools
- the suggested conversion of Broomfield House into a school
- free schools.
The full texts of the questions and answers are available here.
School expansion was also on the agenda of an Enfield Council Cabinet meeting held on 19th June, when the Cabinet approved an updated strategy to provide additional school places between 2013/14 and 2017/18. The updated strategy is set out in a long and detailed document available on the Council website. It notes that the Council was no longer able to pursue its intention to expand three schools in the Palmers Green/Southgate area with effect from September 2013 - the schools in question are Walker, Broomfield and Oakthorpe.
