Legal News
Twins May Be Separated Due To Lack of Local School Places (19 January 2012)
Date: 19/01/2012
Twin girls could face separation, as their local primary school is too oversubscribed to grant them both places. Mia and Hannah Hendry were placed in Carshalton’s All Saints Church of England school four years ago due to the considerable pressure on school places in the area. Mia was first offered a place at the school. However, the twins’ parents were forced to reject the place, as Mia’s sister, Hannah, would have been unable to attend the school with her. Upon receiving Mia’s rejection, the school then offered the place to Hannah, as she was placed next on the waiting list. However, the school failed to offer both girls a place.
The twins’ father, Phil, has told of how the school has been unwilling to find a solution that will allow his daughters to stay together. He added that he felt he owed it to the parents of multiple births to highlight the issue and to fight for the right of the girls to be schooled together. Mr. Hendry wants the school to create an additional place to allow the girls to stay together yet this would mean that the school would be forced to have 36 children in the class, as opposed to the current 35.
Councillor Kirsty Jerome, Sutton council’s executive member for education and schools, claimed that she appreciated Mr. Hendry’s frustration, adding that the council had invested millions in expanding London’s primary schools.
The childcare law solicitors at Duncan Lewis’ can support parents who are fighting to acquire school places for their children in their local area.