THERE is “no more” the council can do for Worcester children travelling up to 12 miles to attend school after it was revealed more pupils could have been at risk.
A shortage in school places in Worcester has left 21 children being offered places in Malvern and Stourport – but it was revealed this number could have been far higher.
Councillor Stephen Foster, cabinet member with Responsibility for Education, revealed dozens more pupils were initially at risk of travelling further than three miles from Worcester.
“We were working with Worcester secondary schools to find places initially for around 30 to 40 pupils who were affected,” he said.
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“Now it is only a handful, but obviously, this is of no consolation for parents.
“The [Worcester] schools have done their best, but you reach a point where there is no more you can do.
“Someone had to take over this administration, and you inherit what you inherit.”
The council, which is having to make contingencies for a spike in the number of primary leavers, said that 96.3 per cent of families had been allocated their preferred place in April.
Two Worcester primary school pupils were offered places as far as Stourport High School, and the rest were at Dysons Perrins CofE Academy in Malvern.
Cllr Foster added that there are no more places in Worcester schools to accommodate any extra children, and as a result, the county council can do nothing more.
Pupil numbers have been growing since 2017 and are expected to continue ticking upwards due to “significant” housing growth in and around the city, according to the local authority.
Councillor Mel Allcott said it is deeply concerning that families in Worcester are being forced to consider school placements outside the city, and more action needs to be taken.
She said: “The transition from primary school to high school is a tough move for most children.
“Breaking up their existing friendship groups and sending them to a school far from home and in no way one they expressed a preference for, is just cruel.
“Children suffered significantly in the pandemic, with unplanned last-minute school closures and isolation from their peers.”
She added that long travel times resulting in additional logistical and financial pressures are unacceptable outcomes for families who should reasonably expect access to education within their own city.
