I've had a lot of conversations in recent weeks with residents about the problems with secondary school admissions locally. Now at least the news of a review of admissions gives some hope - even if no changes can be put into place until 2010.
I should say that this was the top Liberal Democrat commitment on education in the Liberal Democrat manifesto for the Reading elections.
When you talk to parents who have had to go through the drama and stress of an appeal, after their child is turned down from the school less than a mile down the road and sent to West Reading instead, you realise that this really is a huge deal for them. Parents, quite understandably, want to see good local schools. The notion of 'choice' in secondary admissions in particular is in reality pretty seriously limited.
I had a call over the weekend from one set of parents joyous that their appeal had been successful. Across Reading the picture will be very different. A newspaper article published on Friday said that only around 7 per cent of Reading's school appeals are successful.
Some steps are being taken at primary level, and the increase in intake at Katesgrove and New Christ Church Schools is good news. Our local primary schools are popular and well respected. But population growth means that the number of places in Reading has to expand.
The problem has been at secondary level. There's no secondary school in East Reading; but now the same is effectively true for too many South Reading parents. The disgraceful decision by Wokingham Council to shut Ryeish Green School in the teeth of huge local opposition (but shamefully little from Reading) is the cause of the problem. Parents are asking me 'what did Reading Council do to cater for what was going to happen next?'.
I hope this review can give not just answers but solutions.
The annual Katesgrove Residents Association May Party took place at at Waterloo Meadows on Bank Holiday Monday featuring a visit from the Mayor. It also saw the new councillor for Katesgrove proving to be a hot shot at Splat-A-Rat although he swears that he had no-one in mind when playing it! Thankfully the traditional Soak-A-Councillor game was notable by its absence, but I can't help thinking that it would have made a fortune. 
