‘The council is seeing people as numbers, showing no compassion’
Atotal 138 pupils due to start reception classes in Cardiff primaries this September have not been offered a place.
But of the 3,455 applications 89.5% got their first choice and 95.5% got one of their first three choices, Cardiff council said.
A council spokesman said there were a number of reasons for pupils not having offers, including applications to over-subscribed schools, living out of catchment or simply not stating a preference.
More than 500 places are still available at 41 primaries while 36 are full, council data shows.
The most over subscribed school is Pontprennau which had 98 applications for 60 places, followed by Marlborough Road with 94 applications for 60 places.
Some parents whose children don’t have a place to start in September, or don’t have their first, second or third choice of school, took to social media to vent their feelings.
Some were angry their children had not got into the primary attached to the nursery they already attend, even though an older sibling is in the school, because they live out of catchment. Some say they have been refused places at their catchment primary.
Under Cardiff council criteria catchment takes precedence over having an older brother or sister in the primary of their choice.
One father said his daughter had not got into Hawthorn Primary even though she has attended the nursery there for two years and lives in catchment.
Single mother Charlene Manley said she now faces taking her two young children to different schools every morning after son Mylo, three, was refused a place at Pen y Bryn Primary where his older brother Derryn, six, is in year two.
She said she was not warned the school was over-subscribed when she applied on Cardiff council’s online system for a place. Although the school in Llanrumney is a short walk from her house she does not live in the catchment for it.
“I was really distressed when I was told there was no place for Mylo,” Charlene, 37, said.
“He has a good group of friends at the nursery and his brother is in the school. There are five other mums in the same situation as me.
“There was no forewarning that the school was potentially oversubscribed in reception next year. One of my kids will have to be late for school every morning if I have to go to two schools. The council is seeing people as numbers and showing no compassion. I am late now applying for a place at other schools and he has no place.
“I do feel if a sibling is to follow they should take precedence. I am going to appeal.”
These are the most over subscribed primary schools in Cardiff for September 2018 according to latest Cardiff Council figures on April 18 2018.
1. Pontprennau Primary 98 applications
37 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 0.665 miles away
2. Marlborough Primary 94 applications
34 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 0.566 miles away
Joint 3.
Pen-y-Bryn Primary 60 applications
30 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 0.521 miles away and
Rhydypenau Primary 90 applications
30 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 0.671 miles away
4. Danescourt Primary 55 applications
29 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 1.043 miles away
5. Hawthorn Primary 55 applications
25 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 0.286 miles away
6. Lakeside Primary
84 applications
24 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 1.05 miles away
7. Peter Lea Primary 67 applications
22 refused 22
The last allocated place was to
someone living 0.429 miles away
8. Mount Stuart Primary 80 applications
20 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 0.701 miles away
Joint 9.
Radnor Primary
61 applications
16 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 0.49 miles away and
Rumney Primary
76 applications
16 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 0.888 miles away
Joint 10.
Kitchener Primary
73 applications
13 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 0.645 miles away and
Ysgol Gymraeg Treganna
103 applications
13 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 1.102 miles away
When allocating places at an oversubscribed primary school, the following criteria are used by Cardiff Council to offer a child a place.
1. The pupil is looked after by the council
2. The pupil has been given funding by the Early Years Assessment Panel or the Case Advisory Panel
3. The “directed sibling rule” which has two parts, both of which apply to allocating a place at an oversubscribed school that an older brother or sister goes to, but isn’t the catchment school for the family because, either:
The family no longer lives in the catchment as the catchment area has been changed since the older brother or sister started going there or
The council offered a place to an older brother or sister to go to a school that wasn’t the family’s catchment school, because their own catchment school was full
4. The pupil permanently lives in the catchment for the school being applied for
5.The council considers the pupil to have compelling medical grounds to go to the school
6. The pupil has an older brother or sister at the school
7. The pupil lives nearer to the school than other children that have applied to go there
8. The pupil lives furthest away from the alternative school they would go to if they don’t get in to the one they’re applying for
9. The pupil has permission from the council to start going to school at a younger age than the law requires.