Rotherham Council will not be providing portable cabins at Waverley school “this year”

Rachel Graham, on behalf of Waverley Community Council asked an RMBC cabinet meeting today (June 20) if the council would be providing portable cabins for youngsters at Waverley Junior Academy in September, adding that there are currently 21 students “without placements at the moment”.

Angry residents spoke out after youngsters were told there were not enough places for them to attend Waverley Junior Academy, after many bought homes on the new Waverley estate.

Rother Valley MP Alexander Stafford gathered 2,000 signatures for his petition to parliament calling on Rotherham Council to extend the school through mobile buildings to fit in those who have been turned away.

Ms Graham added: “It’s the council’s policy…to encourage sustainable travel to school, which includes walking over car usage. How does this marry up?”

Nathan Heath, assistant director for education at RMBC told the meeting:”I think it’s right to recognise there is a very clear challenge for those children and young people who have not been accepted into Waverley.

“We’ve been doing significant pieces of work with the DofE (Department for Education) and dialogue with them around the forward planning.

“The DforE’s position is very clear, and they’ve made that consistently clear to the local authority that within the planning area of Waverley, there is available school places for children and young people that are within the catchment area.

Mr Heath added that RMBC “will not be providing” portable cabins at Waverley Junior Academy this year.

“The schools that are within and around Waverley Village and catchment are within the criteria set by the Department for Education.

“It is recognised that a number of children that have not been admitted to Waverley in September may be at the wider parameters of that catchment area, however from the specific detailed work we’ve done around that, all children should be able to access a local catchment school. ”