Parents' fury over children left 'high and dry'

They say the admissions criteria changes for Fred Longworth High School now mean some children living further away are given preference over those living closer to the school.

The changes particularly affect youngsters coming from Chowbent Primary School. Where, in the past, Chowbent pupils moved without problem on to Fred Longworth, they now face a struggle.

And to combat the new changes anxious parents have formed an action group.

At the group's first meeting, Nick Parker explained: "We are not going to go away. I feel it has to be pointed out that though we are a small committee at a small primary school, we will not be brushed aside, or fobbed off."

The committee hopes to rally the support of Atherton councillors and parents. Mr Parker added: "We will be taking this matter right to the top. We will go through all the legal procedures, if necessary, if we can't get satisfaction at a local level.

"I think it beggars belief that Wigan Council and the LEA can have two high schools in Atherton which are prejudice, through the admissions criteria, against not only Chowbent primary school, but the two other primary schools in the area. In effect it is immoral."

Father of two primary school daughters, Nick Gleeson said: "The main thing I'm concerned about is safety. If my daughters have to go to schools which are five and a half miles away and travel home in the winter when it's dark and anything does happen to them, or to any other child who travels that distance, I will hold the councillors personally responsible.

"I don't want my daughters travelling all that distance in the dark. I can't pick them up and my wife doesn't drive."

Most parents of children aged 10 and 11 years received their secondary schools admissions forms this week, and Mrs Andrea Redshaw, mother-of-one, said: "I don't know what to put for my first, second or third choice -- if in fact I ever did have a choice.

"I don't know what to say to my son. I just hope and pray we get at least our second choice if not our first."

Parents say in most of cases, it will take two bus rides just to get to the current choices of schools being offered. This, they add, would make after school activities, and even visiting new school friends from that area, a problem.

Mother of three, Denise Atkinson, said: "I am very upset that my child will have to go to a school three miles away when the school of my choice is a short walk down the road.

"This should be a happy time for my child, going to a new school with his friends, but now he is very upset because he doesn't know which school he is going to go to. I feel Labour have let Atherton people and the children down, and they certainly will not get my vote next time around."

The committee was unanimous in believing that the changes to the catchment area for Fred Longworth High school were made improperly. They felt the voting was deliberately timed to take place when many people were away on holiday, and therefore questioned the validity of that vote.

Father of two young daughters currently attending Chowbent primary school, Steve Ralph said: "On an issue as important as this, I don't feel that only 14 people should be voting on it, when there were 32 people absent from the Education Committee meeting on August 3, 1999."

Steve Milnes, father of two daughters, said: "The change has been brought about by the council looking after preferences of one area to the detrimental affect of other children.

"Ultimately it will cause problems with the community spirit in Atherton where children will be broken up and won't be going to the secondary school of their preference and basically will be pushed to whatever vacancy the council have in the locality."

Governor at Chowbent Primary school, Joanne Hulme, said: "We're having a brand new school built. There is going to be a knock on effect -- no one is going to want to send their children here if there is no secondary school to go to when they leave."