School place scramble starts again

For the second year in a row, families in the centre of the district are struggling to find places for boys at nearby secondary schools. This time the pressure has fallen mainly on Cowfold rather than Southwater, with the threat of having to travel to Burgess Hill for an education.

West Sussex County Council point to figures showing that the great majority of parents get one of their top 3 choices. But fear of being allocated a place out of the district has caused many families to include choices their don’t really want. For example, Steyning Grammar is not an easy journey from Southwater to be making every day.

The cause of all this stress was the eccentric decision a few years ago by Cllr Nigel Jupp (Conservative), then WSCC Cabinet Member for Education & Skills, to allow Forest School to go co-ed but leave Millais as single sex. As he said at the time:

“The proposals may have a specific impact on a small number of families that seek a place for a boy…”

Families across Southwater and Cowfold are certainly feeling that ‘specific impact’ and are very unhappy about it.

Horsham Liberal Democrat spokesman, WSCC Cllr John Milne, says:

“The pressure on school places in Southwater and Cowfold will continue for at least the next 2 years, even if Millais is compelled to turn co-ed. In the longer term a new secondary school is essential because we have thousands of already approved new homes coming across the district. It’s simply impossible to meet demand within existing schools.

“Jeremy Quin has campaigned against a new secondary school for Southwater on the grounds that it’s impossible to guarantee it would get built under the system his own government created.

“He must be the first MP in the country to campaign against a school in his own constituency.”

Notes

• Decision details, Change of status for The Forest School, Horsham and St Andrew's CE High School for Boys, Worthing to co-educational schools - ES05(20/21) https://westsussex.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=992

• Equality Impact Report, Appendix 3, WSCC Decision ES05(20/21), July 2020 https://westsussex.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s17880/Appendix%203_Coeducational%20EIR.pdf