EXCLUSIVE

by Aline Nassif

aline.nassif@essnmedia.co.uk

More than 2,500 pupils who live in Croydon are being sent to schools in neighbouring Sutton.

The number of primary and secondary students crossing the border every day accounts for almost 10 per cent of Sutton's school population.

After obtaining the figures, Croydon Central MP Andrew Pelling, who claims a significant proportion of those children attend top Sutton grammar schools, has called on the Government to reconsider its ban on building "selective" schools.

He said: "There is a lot of money that has been promised to Croydon (Council) to improve their schools but the Government should take a good look at what is happening next door.

"There are three top grammar schools in Sutton, right on our border, that all have a brilliant track record of outstanding results.

"In this age of political spin there are too many people who are afraid to talk about grammar schools as they are considered elitist for streaming the top state-educated pupils."

There are 190 primary, 2,343 secondary and 54 special school pupils from Croydon currently enrolled at Sutton schools.

Croydon Council has secured £500 million of funding to be spent over the next 10 years creating new academies and enlarging existing schools, but Mr Pelling suggests the large number of church schools and academies run by evangelical trusts will continue to limit options for youngsters.

He has also voiced concern over a private member's bill being passed through Parliament by the Liberal Democrats' Sutton and Cheam MP Paul Burstow to keep "Sutton schools for Sutton pupils".

Mr Burstow has been campaigning to reverse a 1989 judgement that said schools should decide who they take on without consideration of local authority boundaries.

At Wallington Girls' School, for example, just 80 places out of the annual 180 intake are reserved for Sutton residents.

Mr Pelling warns such legislation would "create an artificial Berlin wall" and deprive Croydon kids of access to the best schools.

Mr Pelling said: "My own father, a resident in Croydon, had the great advantage of going to the former Purley Grammar School which transformed his career options.

"He went to a top university (London School of Economics) and became a senior civil servant, all thanks to a great state education.

"Every Croydon kid deserves that start in life if they show potential at an early age."

Tim Pollard, Croydon Council's cabinet member for education, called Mr Burstow's bill "ludicrous", but he hopes that by improving schools in Croydon the borough will retain more local pupils.

He said: "I'm not at all surprised at the number of Croydon pupils being educated in Sutton.

"But by improving local schools we believe they will become places that Croydon families would choose for their kids to go to.

"While we are not allowed to invest in grammar schools, we have schools like Harris Academy Crystal Palace and Coloma that prove it is possible to provide excellent education without being selective."