Sharon Morris: Understands the pressure on Saffron Walden school places

Recently I applied for a Primary School place in September 2015 for my youngest daughter. With an older sibling at both the Infants and the partner Junior Schools, as well as being well within the School’s catchment area, she should be a ‘shoo in’ but I still can’t help but feel a little nervous in case she isn’t offered a place.

I passionately believe that all children should be able to go to their local school if that is what their parents choose, but with our schools full to bursting point children are having to attend schools on the opposite side of town and are even being forced to travel from town to the villages. This is a far from ideal situation. The provision of school places should be a priority consideration for any planning application for housing but much new housing has been built with little or no regard to this issue.