South Battersea needs a state school, says MP Martin Linton (From Wandsworth Guardian)

South Battersea needs a state school, says MP Martin Linton

9:50am Monday 19th October 2009

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Middle class parents in south Battersea would shun private schools if they could attend a good local state school, the local MP claims.

The well-heeled area, spanning seven square miles, is the only part of the borough with not a single state secondary in sight.

Martin Linton, Labour MP for Battersea, raised the issue with Vernon Croaker, Minister of State for Schools, this week.

He said: “Quite a lot of people say they would like to send their children to a good state school if there was one, but they end up going to private school.

“Children like to go to a local school and they like to stay with their classmates, if they can. Yet there’s a huge area in the middle of the borough with no secondary schools.”

Emanuel School, which costs £13,743 a year in fees, is the only secondary school in the area, spanning Northcote, Shaftesbury, Fairfield and Latchmere wards.

About 200 children leave the local state primary schools, Belleville and Honeywell, every year.

Popular schools in other parts of the borough have little chance of accepting their children as they live too far away.

Local dad Jon De Maria said: “With the birth rate on the rise I am concerned that a lot of local kids will suffer through a lack of any real choice about where they can get a good local education.”

When asked by Mr Linton to meet with parents, Mr Croaker said it was a matter for the council but said he would be willing to attend.

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