The children of Butetown, one of Cardiff’s most deprived neighborhoods, are struggling to secure places at their first choice secondary school. Only 49% of children in Butetown were offered a place at their top choice for this September, compared to 88% across the city. Furthermore, one in five students did not receive a place in any of their first three choices. Cardiff Council cited experiencing high intakes, like many other local authorities, as the cause for the situation.
When selecting a secondary school, parents in Cardiff must list five schools in preference order. Before the appeals procedure began, 42 children across the Fitzalan High School catchment area were lacking places for September. Shamis Aden’s son was one of those children without a place, and she plans to appeal the decision. She stated, “If you walk to Fitzalan, it’s 15 minutes away. What is the catchment area for here? That’s what I want to know,” and added it was unfair to children born in Grangetown and Butetown as they didn’t have many options.
Faisa Ege’s youngest child was not given a place at the same secondary school as her eldest, though her eldest child is already at Fitzalan. She mentioned having three children attending three different schools, as she currently lives in temporary accommodation in another part of the town. Ms. Ege is a single parent who works and finds it difficult to run between different schools. Omar Yusuf, whose son did not get a space, stated he was “devastated” and added that the council was instructing him to send his son to the Tremorfa area’s Willows High School, but it was difficult to access.
Helen Gunter, a Butetown ward councillor, called the situation “unacceptable” and added that it was critical that children have the same educational opportunities no matter where they live. She also said she was partnering with other council cabinet members to rectify the situation and was “committed” to resolving the issue. Cardiff council said it had been permanently or temporarily expanding secondary schools in recent years to support families. Additionally, it said it worked with local communities “to encourage parents to use all of the five preferences available to them, so that they are not at a disadvantage when applying for a secondary school place.
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