New Addingham group set up as three pupils are left in the cold
A NEW pressure group has been set up in Addingham to campaign for all children in the village to be granted a place at Ilkley Grammar School.
A re-shuffle of the waiting list has meant that almost all the children initially refused places have now been granted them, leaving only three children looking to the appeals process.
Craven District councillor Adrian Naylor said: "Places for some children have become available and have been allocated now that the waiting list has been closed.
"There are still some children who have not been allocated places and these are the ones who now more than ever need the help and support of the village."
Parents and governors have set up Wharfe Valley Community Matters to express a collective voice for the community over the issue of school places.
Group member Fiona Mann said: "The families are naturally devastated by the news but we are hoping that the fact that there are only three of them will, in a way, strengthen their case when their cases go to appeal.
"The pressure group will press for a long-term resolution to the over-subscribing of Ilkley Grammar and to ensure, not only that these three children get in, but we also want to secure the future education of our children at Ilkley Grammar as well, working with other communities in the Wharfe Valley, who find themselves in a similar situation to us.
"We are all part of the 'Wharfe Valley' cluster of schools, after all.
"In other words we are working towards every child in Addingham being guaranteed at place at Ilkley Grammar and to this end we have set up a website to keep the community in Addingham abreast of what we are doing."
The website is (www.wharfevalleycommunitymatters.net). Mrs Mann, a parent with children at Addingham Primary School, said: "Obviously, it is quite wrong and insensitive to have most children being offered places at IGS, whilst only three are left out in the cold.
"The transition to secondary school is difficult enough.
"The whole village community is totally behind what we are doing and we welcome any input and support from the village community groups."
12:58pm Friday 28th March 2008
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