Potters Bar’s MP calls meeting on Hertsmere school places
Potters Bar's MP Oliver Dowden with Cllr Terry Douris in 2017. Picture credit: Mr Dowden's office. - Credit: Archant
Potters Bar’s MP Oliver Dowden has called a meeting with Hertfordshire County Council education officials after the number of pupils looking for a secondary school place in Hertsmere rose by three per cent in a year.
In Potters Bar this year, 89 per cent of pupils got one of their four preferred places, compared to 90 per cent across Hertsmere.
153 out of 254 Potters Bar pupils got their first choice of school.
Hertsmere pupils needing a secondary place in September rose to 1,333 this year.
Across Hertfordshire, Hertsmere has one of the lowest rates of allocating pupils within their first four choices, coming above only Watford and St Albans District.
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To raise his concerns, Mr Dowden has agreed a meeting with Cllr Terry Douris, the county council member responsible for education.
Mr Dowden said: “Making sure all children have access to a good place is one of the main reasons I entered politics.
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“I owe a debt of gratitude for the excellent state education I received, which gave me the very best start in life.
“Schools are already are under pressure and if we are going to build more homes for our children and grandchildren, we must have the right infrastructure, including crucially school capacity.
“I have constantly hammered this message home to the County Council and other local agencies, and will continue to do so.”
