Twins face being placed in different secondary schools
TWIN sisters Rosanna and Alexandra Wilkins could be split up for the first time in their lives as they face going to different secondary schools in Gloucester.
The 10-year-old twins went to the same primary school and are the best of friends.
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WORRIED: Twins Alexandra, left, and Rosanna, right, with parents Neil and Donna and little brother Robbie.
But the Tuffley girls now face an uncertain future after being rejected for their first choice secondary.
They had their hearts set on two places at Barnwood Park Arts College, but had letters through offering them places at Severn Vale, in Quedgeley.
They are now going to be placed on a waiting list for Barnwood Park – but if only one is successful the other one will have to go somewhere else.
Dad Neil and wife Donna, who also have a son Robbie, eight, are worried.
He said: "We looked around Barnwood Park, and it just fitted them.
"They're both very arty, and very into their dance, so it was the perfect place, and they both really liked it.
"But when we got the letter the other day, we were told they had been offered places at our second choice."
Neil said the only option available to the family was to accept the places at Severn Vale and try to get onto the waiting list for Barnwood Park.
He said: "It says in the small print that if they are successful in getting a place at their preferred choice, the place at Severn Vale will be given to someone else.
"The trouble is, they could end up being split up, and we want them to go to the same school."
Neil added that Robbie will be choosing his secondary school in a few years, and the family did not want to end up with children at three different schools.
He added: "I'm just amazed the county council doesn't have a policy for this sort of situation."
Tim Browne, head of commissioning for learning at Gloucestershire County Council, said: "The twins were allocated one of their preferred schools – this year 97 per cent of families who expressed a preference received one of their preferred schools.
"We are legally obliged to treat twins as individuals, but, where possible, we will always try to allocate them the same secondary school, as has happened in this case.
"We strongly encourage parents to accept the school place offered, even if the child also goes on another school's waiting list, to be sure of a school place in September 2010."
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by Lou Pole, Glos
Friday, March 05 2010, 8:31AM
“Trouble is, we are told we have 'choice' when in fact we shouldn't even NEED to choose, should we?
The standard of education in ALL state schools should be the same, regardless of intake.
So, if for some reason, a particular school is failing in say, Maths, then teachers from other schools should be swapped around.
The teachers are civil servants, and as such, should be deployed where they are told.
Then your children would be happy to go to the nearest school.
This would stop the mamoth waste of resources sending children to the scool of their parents choice.
A choice, by the way, that is made usually based on fabricated league results.
Questioning that?
My son was at a local grammar school, and he was falling behind in one subject. The head called us in and said he wanted him to withdraw from the GCSE, so that a probable fail wouldn't show up on the school results.
IT'S ALL A SHAM!”
by Vic, Chelt
Thursday, March 04 2010, 11:21PM
“OH MY GOD, I totally agree with 'Matthew' down the bottom there, WHAT! What news is this lol, If these parents dont want their daughters slpit up, then send them to the school that the authorities have offered them, and in doing so, when the son goes to secondary school, boomf u only gotta do one journey. VERY SIMPLE REALLY. U cant surely expect to demand they take both ur daughters if they dont have the space, but send one of ur daughters there andf then complain that they have been split up. And by the way, so wot if they get split up, im sorry luv but there are far worse things going on in this world than complaining about a situation that u r gonna create urself. Also, lastly but not least, do u really let ur 11 yr old child choose which senior school he goes to. bit silly really if it means u end up travelling to loads of different schools wen u dont wanna. Wot if he chooses a school 50 miles away, just think, then, not only would u have 2 daughters split up, u would also have to go to 3 different schools, AND to top it all off, u would be driving for a good few hours!!!”
by Anon, Cheltenham
Thursday, March 04 2010, 8:34PM
“JN of Gloucester, I think you are over eager hitting that "Submit" button, chill out.”
by JN, Gloucester
Thursday, March 04 2010, 7:04PM
“This event just shows how caring the allocation system and its operators are. Unfortunately u are obliged to make second and third choices whether u like it or not. To suggest Beaufort as an alternative is almost a crime. This is the school who have kept a new entrant with comsiderable art talent but an enormous split family background in detention and isolation etc for most of his first term. God help us if they get rid of the private sector - they are the only educationists who really look after the individual pupil. Severn Vale School - ha,ha,ha. Retired school teacher.”
by JN, Gloucester
Thursday, March 04 2010, 7:03PM
“This event just shows how caring the allocation system and its operators are. Unfortunately u are obliged to make second and third choices whether u like it or not. To suggest Beaufort as an alternative is almost a crime. This is the school who have kept a new entrant with comsiderable art talent but an enormous split family background in detention and isolation etc for most of his first term. God help us if they get rid of the private sector - they are the only educationists who really look after the individual pupil. Severn Vale School - ha,ha,ha. Retired school teacher.”