Shipley mum starts petition over Bradford school places (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

A lot of people in Bradford seem to be hurting over school allocation here in Bradford year in and year out.
Parents do not seem in these cases to get a choice just told.

I agree with Tracy Briscoe, that judging school distances in a straight line is not logical.Many years ago my children were assessed the same way and instead of being 3 miles from school by road... they assesed that if they walked over the fields(yes) than the distance was 2 and halfmiles.so they didn't qualify for free transport ..With no bus service in this rural(Bradford) area...available to the children who attended school we clubbed together for a bus for them....at that time this was financially hard....I agree with her stand in this matter and will gladly sign an e petition.Children's education and the ease at which they can get to the school of their choice should be priority.

A ten minute difference in walking, big deal

There isnt enough school places in this city. Bradford council have been warned about this for years and as usual did nothing. They need to expand the schools they can and build more within the next year or theres going to be massive problems.

I would have thought that the walk to High Crags was actually easier and less steep.

Anyone living close by, would know that it takes longer to walk to Low Ash and further. A simple google maps route check shows that too. At least be honest and say you want your son to go to the school that is higher up the league table.
Although, you could try moving to Wrose.

The petition is about the whole of Bradford as i know that a lot of people have been affected by the allocation system. Due to the straight line distance our nearest school is actually classed as poplars farm in bd2. Clearly this is not the nearest by walking distance. This is not accessible in a straight line coming from Bolton woods area. This is not a personal crusade.this is to put right a serious flaw in the sytem
It is absurb to even think that it is a complaint based on a ten minute difference.

The petition can be found at:

http://epetition.bra
dford.public-i.tv/ep
etition_core/view/sc
hoolallocation

Yet again, Bradford's Education Dept have failed again. I am Julie Brown who set up last years petition to have the allocation process changed and I gained 980 signatures not 450. I know exactly how your feeling Tracy. Unfortunately Sue Colman, Kath Tunstall and the rest of the education dept don't see this as 'an issue' however as I advised them last year, Bradford has the highest population increase throughout the whole country. The areas of BD18 & BD10 have more children than school places. These 2 area's are amongst the worse in the country when it comes to gaining a place in one of your chosen schools. My son was given High Crags Primary School which is a mile and a half away from where we live. There are 3 other schools within 800 meters of where we live yet we failed to get a place any any of them. We are still hoping to gain a place at another school. If you would like any help or support with your petition I would be more than happy to help. My email is julie@everychildmatt
ers2011.co.uk

My husband has tried to sign the epetition and he has not received the link to his email which needs to be clicked on to confirm the signature. I complained about this problem last year as I received numerous emails to say the same thing had happened to others. I was promised this issue would be fixed. It obviously hasn't.

The Education department isn't fit for purpose, funny how if an award is won - they're all out singing and dancing.

The debacle in Thackley over school places this year shows what a disaster the education department have presided over.

Mike Strutter wrote:
A ten minute difference in walking, big deal

W****R!

modman61 wrote:

Mike Strutter wrote:
A ten minute difference in walking, big deal

W****R!

I***T!

TBrisc10 wrote:
The petition is about the whole of Bradford as i know that a lot of people have been affected by the allocation system. Due to the straight line distance our nearest school is actually classed as poplars farm in bd2. Clearly this is not the nearest by walking distance. This is not accessible in a straight line coming from Bolton woods area. This is not a personal crusade.this is to put right a serious flaw in the sytem
It is absurb to even think that it is a complaint based on a ten minute difference.

It's funny how you suddenly start to challenge the system now that you have been personally affected. Would you have bothered if you had been offered Low Ash?
It is a personal crusade and you may have a point regarding how they allocate school places. But this is about you wanting the school you want your child to go to. Be honest. And another google maps route check shows Poplars farm 0.8mile walking distance. Same as High Crags. Low Ash is further.

SRS74 wrote:

TBrisc10 wrote:
The petition is about the whole of Bradford as i know that a lot of people have been affected by the allocation system. Due to the straight line distance our nearest school is actually classed as poplars farm in bd2. Clearly this is not the nearest by walking distance. This is not accessible in a straight line coming from Bolton woods area. This is not a personal crusade.this is to put right a serious flaw in the sytem
It is absurb to even think that it is a complaint based on a ten minute difference.

It's funny how you suddenly start to challenge the system now that you have been personally affected. Would you have bothered if you had been offered Low Ash?
It is a personal crusade and you may have a point regarding how they allocate school places. But this is about you wanting the school you want your child to go to. Be honest. And another google maps route check shows Poplars farm 0.8mile walking distance. Same as High Crags. Low Ash is further.

Some people are unbelievable!.

SRS74 obviously misses the whole point lol. Of course Mrs Briscoe is challenging a system because she has personally been affected!. That is one of the main reasons why people initiate petitions, when an injustice has taken place that affects peoples lives!. I would have stuck to your comment "you may have a point regarding how they allocate school places" that is what the petition is about! It is too late for Mrs Briscoe to affect personal change. Why knock people who want to try ensure fairness in the future for others?. BTW.........you will never know when you may need people to help your cause when you personally become affected:-)

People should take time to read the petition brief before before going down the route of writing it off as a personal crusade!

SRS74 if you are going to research it please get your facts right first! Poplars farm on google maps is not 0.8 miles/ 19 mins walking distance as this is not even accessible this way by foot. It shows the route cutting through a field which is fenced off and restricted so you have to walk all the way along canal road and up bolton lane and kings road. FACT! This is what highlights the flaw in the straight line system that is used. Google states - "Use caution – This route may be missing sidewalks or pedestrian paths." Regarding low ash being higher up the legue table, BOTH low ash and high crags have the same ofsted rating FACT! Everyone wants their child to go to the first choice school and understand that this is not always possible, however we feel the system in place is fair to some and not others and its only because we are going through all this that we have realised and are trying to make it more fair!

You never answered whether you would have set up the petition if you had been successful in your first choice? You being successful would of meant someone not, and being in your position.
I first commented on this story not because I agree with the current admissions policy but because it appears you are trying to convince people that your being hard done by with the distance to school quoting "He now has to go to High Crags which Mrs Briscoe claims is a 30-minute walk, compared to the 20-minute walk to Low Ash. Mrs Briscoe does not drive."
As I have pointed out, High Crags is closer and easier to get to.
As you say, Not everybody can have their first choice. I'm sorry for you, but High Crags is your local school. The Council are not making you travel further.

SRS74 - if you read the article again it states the street where Tracey lives. Low Ash Primary IS her local school. This petition is to stop patents having to go through this joke of a system that the education dept put children and parents through year in year out. It is a fact, and one I have proven in the past, that parents lie about where they live to get their child into a certain school therefore making parents such as Tracey being given a school that someone else should have possibly received but didn't, purely because they gave fraudulent info. The straight line rule yet again is a joke. Would you trespass through someone's property to get to a school that you are told is only 0.8 miles away, and that is supposidly accessable when actually it is a **** sight further by road? No you wouldn't. My thoughts are you don't have children yourself and even if you do, you obviously did not have the issue of getting your child into your school of choice, which is the issue that parents are facing in the Bradford district right now purely because of the massive growth in child population, so until you get your facts right, and realise that parents DO request their local school, keep your comments to yourself

I do have children. Two. Both had seperate primary schools in the same area. I did not appeal. High Crags by virtue of its distance is closest to Thornhill Drive. Low Ash should cater for the children of Wrose, High Crags covers Bolton Woods.
Yes, people lie about there address, that needs checking and the wrongdoers being given there local school. I wouldn't expect a resident of wrose to lose a place at Low Ash so that someone who lives nearer another school be allowed to go there just because they want to. That resident of wrose may have longer to walk because of it, and probably pass each other along the way. But my main point is, a school is a school, be happy with what you get.

Well, ive read all the comments above and i would like to know why all children in nurserys now get sent to different schools. why cant they automatically go straight up into reception? As for the arrogant ignoramous commenting above about "Wrose schools for wrose children" try telling that to the family who live 2 streets away from Low Ash and were refused, tell it to the man who lives on Claremont who has to PAY someone to take his son down to High Crag because he was refused, tell it to the childminder up Wrose who will now loose two incomes because of refusal,- being that she cannot be at two schools at the same time, also tell me why someone is accepted who lives at Bolton Junction, and lastly, try doing some research on these problems and put your brain into gear before opening your'e gob.

angi. b wrote:
Well, ive read all the comments above and i would like to know why all children in nurserys now get sent to different schools. why cant they automatically go straight up into reception? As for the arrogant ignoramous commenting above about "Wrose schools for wrose children" try telling that to the family who live 2 streets away from Low Ash and were refused, tell it to the man who lives on Claremont who has to PAY someone to take his son down to High Crag because he was refused, tell it to the childminder up Wrose who will now loose two incomes because of refusal,- being that she cannot be at two schools at the same time, also tell me why someone is accepted who lives at Bolton Junction, and lastly, try doing some research on these problems and put your brain into gear before opening your'e gob.

They can't all go into the same school as there are children who don't go to school nurseries, Some go to private day nurseries. It is my point exactly that the person who lives next door or two streets away or even Claremont that they should automatically be entitled to a place at Low Ash. The Bolton jcn family should not. Same goes for this story. High Crags is the shortest via straight line AND by walking in distance and time. And that is the school that has been allocated. I think thats fair.

SRS74 wrote:

angi. b wrote: Well, ive read all the comments above and i would like to know why all children in nurserys now get sent to different schools. why cant they automatically go straight up into reception? As for the arrogant ignoramous commenting above about "Wrose schools for wrose children" try telling that to the family who live 2 streets away from Low Ash and were refused, tell it to the man who lives on Claremont who has to PAY someone to take his son down to High Crag because he was refused, tell it to the childminder up Wrose who will now loose two incomes because of refusal,- being that she cannot be at two schools at the same time, also tell me why someone is accepted who lives at Bolton Junction, and lastly, try doing some research on these problems and put your brain into gear before opening your'e gob.

They can't all go into the same school as there are children who don't go to school nurseries, Some go to private day nurseries. It is my point exactly that the person who lives next door or two streets away or even Claremont that they should automatically be entitled to a place at Low Ash. The Bolton jcn family should not. Same goes for this story. High Crags is the shortest via straight line AND by walking in distance and time. And that is the school that has been allocated. I think thats fair.

SRS74 - You really don't seem to be understanding what we are saying. Yes a child SHOULD be entitled to go to their closest school and Low Ash Primary is the school closest to Thornhill Drive. Never mind all of the c**p about striaght line distance because it isn't realistic. You can not trespass over private property, plain and simple. So the fact of the matter is - by foot / car Low Ash is 0.6 miles away from where Tracey lives. High Crags is 0.8 miles away and Poplars Farm is 1.9 miles away. Does that make it clear to you? Low Ash Primary IS Tracey's closest school. As for your attitude of 'A school is a school, accept what you get' rubbish, Yes Low Ash & High Crags have a very similar Ofsted report however each school has it's own merits and I'm sorry but High Crags doesnt have many. I know from experience of having children at both schools. I have had the unfortunate task of taking our son there since Sept and within the 1st week alone parents were fighting in the playground, 1 parent told her 4 year old son to 'get off of that f***ing wall you stupid little c**t, a parent stood outside school openly selling drugs to other parents and a child telling his mother to f - off and her laughing at him. These are parents of children aged 4 and 5 attending High Crags reception class. In the 6 years my stepson attended Low Ash Primary School, we never had to endure that kind of behaviour. Unfortunately quite a lot of parents believe that this kind of attitude and behaviour is acceptable. Tracey wants the absolute best for Jake, and that is Low Ash Primary - Their closest school.

Julesb7 wrote:

SRS74 wrote:

angi. b wrote: Well, ive read all the comments above and i would like to know why all children in nurserys now get sent to different schools. why cant they automatically go straight up into reception? As for the arrogant ignoramous commenting above about "Wrose schools for wrose children" try telling that to the family who live 2 streets away from Low Ash and were refused, tell it to the man who lives on Claremont who has to PAY someone to take his son down to High Crag because he was refused, tell it to the childminder up Wrose who will now loose two incomes because of refusal,- being that she cannot be at two schools at the same time, also tell me why someone is accepted who lives at Bolton Junction, and lastly, try doing some research on these problems and put your brain into gear before opening your'e gob.

They can't all go into the same school as there are children who don't go to school nurseries, Some go to private day nurseries. It is my point exactly that the person who lives next door or two streets away or even Claremont that they should automatically be entitled to a place at Low Ash. The Bolton jcn family should not. Same goes for this story. High Crags is the shortest via straight line AND by walking in distance and time. And that is the school that has been allocated. I think thats fair.

SRS74 - You really don't seem to be understanding what we are saying. Yes a child SHOULD be entitled to go to their closest school and Low Ash Primary is the school closest to Thornhill Drive. Never mind all of the c**p about striaght line distance because it isn't realistic. You can not trespass over private property, plain and simple. So the fact of the matter is - by foot / car Low Ash is 0.6 miles away from where Tracey lives. High Crags is 0.8 miles away and Poplars Farm is 1.9 miles away. Does that make it clear to you? Low Ash Primary IS Tracey's closest school. As for your attitude of 'A school is a school, accept what you get' rubbish, Yes Low Ash & High Crags have a very similar Ofsted report however each school has it's own merits and I'm sorry but High Crags doesnt have many. I know from experience of having children at both schools. I have had the unfortunate task of taking our son there since Sept and within the 1st week alone parents were fighting in the playground, 1 parent told her 4 year old son to 'get off of that f***ing wall you stupid little c**t, a parent stood outside school openly selling drugs to other parents and a child telling his mother to f - off and her laughing at him. These are parents of children aged 4 and 5 attending High Crags reception class. In the 6 years my stepson attended Low Ash Primary School, we never had to endure that kind of behaviour. Unfortunately quite a lot of parents believe that this kind of attitude and behaviour is acceptable. Tracey wants the absolute best for Jake, and that is Low Ash Primary - Their closest school.

Julesb, Yes I've used google maps to illustrate a point, but please don't try convince me that Low Ash is closer. I also live very close to Tracey and I know it is much easier and closer from Thornhill Drive to High Crags. One of my children goes to High Crags I have never witnessed the behaviour you seem to have. My other child did go to Low Ash and both appear to have had the same level of teaching. And as i've said all along....why hasn't Tracey been totally honest and say what you've just said instead of trying to use the distance as the main focus of the story. I suspect, more to try drum up support. Not convinced. Education Bfd should stick to their guns.

I suggest you check aa route finder and you will see where my figures have come from. with regards to the things I have witnessed at high crags, believe me, I am not the only one. Other parents who did not expect to get that school for their child have also made complaints about these issues to the police, council and the school. Too many patents choose to turn a blind eye. Anyway back to the issue here, Low Ash primary IS Tracey's closest school, her prefered school and the fact of the matter is that she has simply been screwed over by the system, why? because our education dept and council could do something to ensure honesty is being used to gain places, yet they have chosen not to use this policy. And how do I know this? Because I have the written confirmation and minutes of a meeting between myself, members if the council and Kath Tunstall confirming this. Straight line distance rule is a joke. If you were given poplars farm school, how would you get there?

Julesb7 wrote:
I suggest you check aa route finder and you will see where my figures have come from. with regards to the things I have witnessed at high crags, believe me, I am not the only one. Other parents who did not expect to get that school for their child have also made complaints about these issues to the police, council and the school. Too many patents choose to turn a blind eye. Anyway back to the issue here, Low Ash primary IS Tracey's closest school, her prefered school and the fact of the matter is that she has simply been screwed over by the system, why? because our education dept and council could do something to ensure honesty is being used to gain places, yet they have chosen not to use this policy. And how do I know this? Because I have the written confirmation and minutes of a meeting between myself, members if the council and Kath Tunstall confirming this. Straight line distance rule is a joke. If you were given poplars farm school, how would you get there?

AA route finder is for cars only and has no pedestrian function. Use google maps and select walking when calculating the route. You can almost tailor it door to door. That alone confirms High Crags is closer. But I live in the area and walked it many times. I've also walked up Gaisby Lane to Low Ash. No rear yard entry, all from the front.
Walking to Poplars Fm sch, is down Gaisby lane, turn left past the community centre, turn right onto Stanley Rd, turn left onto Poplars Park Road. No vehicles, but it can be walked. It is a tarmac road all the way up.
What is your proposed answer to school admissions, considering the low number of places and high number of applications? This is common with most schools around the Country.

SRS74 - Low ash is the nearer of the two schools for us in both straight line and walking distance and yes I have walked both routes. This is a FACT and it does actually show this on google maps. The Local Authority have also confirmed this. As I have stated before this is not a personal crusade. You are claiming it is but from what I can see, you are the one who is trying to make this personal by focusing on one part of an article that I had very little control over.

Have you actually read my petition? I am trying to put right serious flaws in the system to make it fair for everyone. You are detracting from what the petition is actually about and the purpose of my petition. You have admitted that you do not necessarily agree with the allocation system in place but yet you continue to try and make this personal. If you don’t agree with my petition, then nobody is forcing you to sign it.

Please refer to my post on monday 6th :- Poplars farm is not accessible by foot in bolton woods as it is fenced off COMPLETELY! Using google earth and google maps low ash is closer than high crags but this is beside the point. The allocation system is not a fair system not just for us but others aswell.

Without getting the trundle wheel out we will have to beg to differ on the difference. But you cannot argue its a harder walk uphill.
My first comment was in response to the section of the article that quotes "He now has to go to High Crags which Mrs Briscoe claims is a 30-minute walk, compared to the 20-minute walk to Low Ash. Mrs Briscoe does not drive. " Apparently your words. This is FALSE information that I suspect you were using for your own personal gain to drum up support. But if people actually were aware of the correct distances, then most would agree with the council. You made no mention of any other reason why you didn't want your son to go to High Crags. You have also never answered whether you would of set up the petition regardless of your allocated school? So please don't try make out you are solely doing this for the good of everyone. Of course it has a personal element to it.
I totally agree with the elements of your petition. As the crow flies distance is unfair and I would want addresses checking of applicants to ensure the most local people gain their first choice places. It is the context in the way this story has been displayed that I have issue with. If the story had run along the lines of JulesB comment earlier then a different argument may of been had. I've never seen such incidents she claims in six years. So that must of been the week I was ill. Petition signed by the way. ;-)

SRS74 - what a load of rubbish you speak. Does everybody walk at the same pace? I think not. Would a mother with several children walk at the same pace as one adult and one child? Would a mother with a child and pushchair walk at the same pace as an adult? Would a teenager walk the same pace as a toddler? Would you run at the same pace as an olympian? I think not! Gaisby Lane may be steeper, but there are several hills to get too and from High Crags. Placement of bus stops also can affect accessibility particularly in bad weather. You do not appear to take these things into account while you are making personal accusations. You have already said that you agree with the petition itself. Why don't you put your energy into being constructive and supporting the cause for a change in the system rather than being negative and detracting from the actual cause.

Ehbr005 wrote:
SRS74 - what a load of rubbish you speak. Does everybody walk at the same pace? I think not. Would a mother with several children walk at the same pace as one adult and one child? Would a mother with a child and pushchair walk at the same pace as an adult? Would a teenager walk the same pace as a toddler? Would you run at the same pace as an olympian? I think not! Gaisby Lane may be steeper, but there are several hills to get too and from High Crags. Placement of bus stops also can affect accessibility particularly in bad weather. You do not appear to take these things into account while you are making personal accusations. You have already said that you agree with the petition itself. Why don't you put your energy into being constructive and supporting the cause for a change in the system rather than being negative and detracting from the actual cause.

It is you who speaks rubbish. Pace has absolutely nothing to do with this. And there are plenty of bus stops along Festival Ave, but I've never been aware of many hills.
Please read what my main point is with the story. I've mentioned it a few times. Yes the current system has flaws, so I have signed the petition. thereby supporting the cause. But in my mind, the coucil have got this decision spot on.