Kerry McCarthy MP: Creating Primary School Places in Bristol Must Be Our Top Priority

City MP, Kerry McCarthy, has been granted a special debate in Parliament this Tuesday to discuss the drastic shortage of Primary School places in Bristol. Kerry is holding the debate to highlight the looming crisis in Bristol’s primary schools and will call upon the Department for Education to step in and provide emergency funding.

Over the past four years, there has been a 20% increase in the pupil population, with a thousand more children starting school this September. This year, Bristol City Council has spent £5.3 million on temporary solutions such as Portakabins to guarantee enough places this September. But this is can’t continue. The Council has used all the quick fixes it can and our schools have run out of space for yet more Portakabins next year.

With the infant population set to rise steeply over the next couple of years, there is projected to be a minimum shortfall of 3000 places by 2015. By next September, Bristol will need at least 14 extra reception classes. This means the City Council needs to urgently find permanent solutions and build more classrooms for our schools. However, the Council does not have the necessary funding.

Last July, Michael Gove announced an additional £500 million to help Local Councils build new school places. But this money has not been allocated. When it finally is apportioned, it is very unlikely that Bristol will receive the share it needs, because the Department of Education is calculating need using this summer’s total surplus places return. Bristol currently has a surplus in Years 5 and 6, but these are of no use whatsoever to four year olds excited about starting school next September. The Government is failing to adopt a common sense approach that considers what our City actually needs. The purpose of Kerry’s special debate is to press Education Ministers into working with the Bristol City Council to provide an immediate and lasting solution to Bristol’s primary school crisis.

Kerry said: “The unprecedented population growth in our city means Bristol must be a special case. Last July, Michael Gove proudly announced an additional £500 million to help Local Councils, like Bristol, to build new school places. But this money has not been spent and nothing has been done. This money is desperately needed in Bristol, where re-builds must start in the next few months if our schools are to be ready by next September.

The purpose of my debate is to urge Education Ministers to work with the Bristol City Council to provide a solution that will end Bristol’s primary school crisis. We can no longer afford to ignore this problem. Creating more primary school places in Bristol is unavoidable and it must be our top priority.

Today, all over Bristol, children are unable to attend a school in their community and have to travel considerable distances to get an education. In my constituency, parents have been forced to leave their jobs because there is no place for their child at their local school. This is not acceptable and it cannot continue. Parents and children in Bristol deserve better. The City Council and the Government must now work together to resolve this crisis before it is too late.”