364 pupils looking for a school - Labour cite staff cuts, Conservatives cite the EU - Rising immigration fuelling demand for places

Published: 10 December 2010
by JOSH LOEB

OPPOSITION councillors have blamed staff shortages for City Hall’s failure to find school places for over 360 young people.

Westminster City Council this week admitted that 364 children had been left without a school place but said this was because 400 families wanting school places had moved into the area in the past two months.

Interim provision for young people – particularly new arrivals – has traditionally been provided by Quintin Kynaston School in St John’s Wood, but the council says this is now full.  

Labour group leader Paul Dimoldenberg said: “Westminster City Council is letting down some of the most vulnerable children by not providing a school place for over 360 young people. 

“Because they are cutting staff too quickly and too deeply, there are simply not enough staff left at City Hall to do even the basic job of finding schools for children without a school place. 

“The council is now clearly falling down on its legal duty to find a school place for every young person.”

Cllr Nickie Aiken, Westminster council’s cabinet member for children and young people, said: “The claims made about our education department are not true. 

“Our schools are currently rated as the most improved in the country over the last five years. The reality is that we have seen a sudden influx of new arrivals in Westminster, particularly via other European Union countries. 

“In the last two months alone, the council has been contacted by over 400 families who are new to the borough and need school places. 

“This is not an issue unique to Westminster but something which boroughs across London are experiencing. 

“The rise in birth rates coupled with an increase in immigration shows no sign of abating, with many newcomers into the country choosing to settle in central London. We have raised this with the government as we urgently need the funding to be made available so we can provide more places to accommodate increased demand.”