Lib Dem councillors are warning that a crisis in provision of secondary school places in the Muswell Hill area is set to follow the crisis in primary places identified in March 2004.

The party says that with offers for year 7 children applying for Haringey secondary schools having gone out on 1 March, figures provided by Haringey Council show an acute lack of places in the west of the Borough.

Under the new Pan-London admissions scheme parents gave preferences from one to six on their application forms. The preferences given show how demand is vastly outstripping supply in the west of the borough. Alexandra Park school is attracting 809 1st, 2nd or 3rd preferences whilst there are only 216 places on offer, with the same figures for Fortismere being 908 1st, 2nd or 3rd preferences for just 243 places.

Even with six choices, Haringey Council admits that “a number of applicants will not be offered any of their preferences.”

Councillor Gail Engert (Muswell Hill ward), Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson comments:

“Where is the choice much vaunted by Tony Blair and New Labour? A staggering 359 parents chose Fortismere School as their first choice, whilst there are only 243 places. What kind of choice is that? It seems that we now have a crisis over the lack of secondary school places in the Muswell Hill area that is only set to get worse as the children taking up the extra new primary places at Coldfall and Tetherdown schools move through the system.”

Cllr Lynne Featherstone, Lib Dem Parliamentary spokesperson, adds:

“Haringey’s lack of planning over the whole school places issue has been shown up again. Theirs is always a sticking-plaster approach. When one school places problem is tackled, it results in another elsewhere in the system. Only a long-term approach to planning for school places in the Muswell Hill area will move us away from this situation.”