Disappointment as application to Sandbrook Community Primary School rejected

Leighton Hurst

The parents of Leighton Hurst have been left disappointed after their application for a place for him at Sandbrook Community Primary Schoolwas rejected.

Leighton, four, who is currently attending the nursery at Sandbrook, has been given a place at St Mary’s.

Leighton’s mum Julie Hoyle said: “It has left us in a sticky situation because we had arranged for my sister-in-law to pick him up from school, because sometimes I can’t do it because of work. We thought with family having a child at the school, we would be ok but they have said we can’t have a place there.

“He has been given a place at St Mary’s, but St Mary’s is under review from OFSTED and I think they have to be reviewed every six months.

"We appealed the decision but we were told that the classes were already too big, even though the classes have been reduced from three to two for Reception.”

Leighton also currently receives speech therapy at nursery and Julie is worried that his therapy may suffer with moving schools.

She added: “He has speech therapy twice a week at the minute and we have been told that when he moves to St Mary’s, it could be once a week. He already knows everyone at Sandbrook and is comfortable with everyone but that doesn’t seem to matter.

“The system that they use isn’t fair”

Julie also states that with the change in school, she will have to change her circumstances at work.

“I work shifts for the NHS so I now have to change everything with work because we haven’t got anyone to pick him up when we can’t. We haven’t been listened to at all,” added Julie.

A spokesperson for Rochdale Borough Council said: “There were 133 applications requesting Sandbrook Primary School, and all were ranked against the published admission criteria.

“The 60 places were issued to those ranked the highest based on the information provided on the application form. Forty of the 60 available places were allocated to children who already have a sibling at the school, with the remaining places allocated on the relative distance.

“Places in reception, years one and two cannot by law be more than 30 pupils to one teacher.”