Mother raises concerns after losing appeal for Whitehaven Academy

Ruth Ramsay, who lives at Goose Butts, was refused a place for her daughter, Leila, at The Whitehaven Academy, which received 'an unprecedented number of applications' this year.

She has since lost an appeal against the decision and says her daughter is ‘completely devastated’ at the prospect of starting secondary school without her friends.

Ms Ramsay said: “People bang on about children's mental health. What effect do they think separating a child from the friends they've spent their whole time in education with will have on their well-being?

“Especially children who have lived through the isolation of Covid and those with additional needs who already suffer anxiety during transitions and changes of routines.

“If Whitehaven Academy was oversubscribed last year too then why wasn't additional funding sought and more done to increase capacity?

“They should've ensured that Workington and Whitehaven Academy were built big enough to house the children that need to go there.

“I've had to appeal twice for school places for my children. Both times the politicians and council have tried to blame each other. It's disgusting.”

The Whitehaven Academy has received an 'unprecedented' number of applications this year (Image: Archive)

The Whitehaven Academy’s headteacher Nigel Youngman said: “This year, the pressure on places is huge and we have received an unprecedented number of applications.

“The frustration of parents being unable to attend their school of choice is entirely understandable. The independent appeal process considered all factors but sadly there is not enough capacity.

“Cumbria Education Trust, on behalf of The Whitehaven Academy, has been in dialogue with both the local authority and the Department for Education regarding school places in the locality for a number of years and will continue to work with them to find a solution.”

A Cumberland Council spokesperson said: "We recognise it can be upsetting to parents if they are not assigned their first preference school.

“School places are allocated according to each school’s admissions policy and wherever possible parental preference is met. Over 99 per cent of families secured an offer at their first, second or third preference secondary school this year.

 "The council is required to provide sufficient places within their area for every child of school age whose parents wish them to have one; to promote diversity, parental choice, high educational standards; to ensure fair access to educational opportunity and to help fulfil every child's educational potential.

“The popularity of individual schools and parental choice is very changeable. Our forecasting clearly demonstrates that there are sufficient places in all phases of education across Cumberland.

 “When Cumberland Council replaced Cumbria County Council, Allerdale Borough Council, Carlisle City Council and Copeland Borough Council, the review of the planning areas for both primary and secondary phases of education was carried out in strict accordance with the DfE guidance document (Local Authority Pupil Planning Areas 2021) which sets out clearly how pupil planning areas should be structured.

“This subsequently received DfE approval and as such was adopted. This is reviewed on an annual basis.

"Schools are well prepared to settle children into their new schools in September, as they do every year, to help with this important transition."

Ruth Ramsay with her daughter, Leila, who has been allocated a place at St Benedict's Catholic High School (Image: Submitted)

Workington MP Mark Jenkinson recently hit out at Josh MacAlister, the Labour candidate for Whitehaven and Workington, after he blamed the Government for a shortage of school spaces at the Whitehaven Academy and Workington Academy.

Mr Jenkinson released a letter sent to Mr MacAlister from education secretary Gillian Keegan MP in which she told him that Cumberland Council was responsible for ensuring there are sufficient school places.

The Workington MP said: “I continue to help schools deal with capacity issues and to act in the best interests of parents, teachers, and the children themselves.

“Whitehaven Academy is not in my constituency, but its capacity issues have the same cause as those in Seaton and Harrington – poor planning by Cumberland Council.

“I have met with school leaders at Workington Academy, and with the head teachers at various primary schools across the constituency.

“Ultimately the buck stops with Cumberland Council, as the education authority. The Education Secretary made this clear in her recent letter to the Labour candidate for Whitehaven and Workington.

“Section 14 of the Education Act 1996 places the local authority a duty to secure sufficient secondary school places, and to make sure that there is diversity of provision and of choice for parents.

“The level of funding allocated to schools is based on the capacity data provided by the local authority. However, the council and its predecessor Cumbria County Council – also Labour-led – indicated that ‘no additional places’ were needed in year 7 to 11 for either of the Academies.”

Josh MacAlister, the Labour candidate for Whitehaven and Workington, said: “I’ve spoken to many parents frustrated by the current situation.

“I’ve also visited most secondary schools within the last year to hear from to school leaders about their challenges.

“Cumbria Education Trust, who run Whitehaven and Workington academies, are seeking government funding to build a dedicated sixth form across both sites which would also free up school places for 11-16 year olds. I wrote to the government in support of their request, with a petition signed by over 200 parents. 

“The independent National Audit Office have highlighted a massive underspend from the Department for Education’s capital budget. It should be a no brainer but, sadly, the response I received from the Minister seems to reject that request.

“I’ll keep working with the local authority, with local school leaders and with parents to convince the government to provide the funding needed to expand school places where they’re needed.”