Maiden Erlegh's Catchment Area Decision

Speaking after hearing that the Secretary of State has finally come to a decision over changes to Maiden Erlegh's catchment area.

Green Park Ward councillor Rob White said: "it is great news that the Secretary of State has rubberstamped the adjudicator's recommendation that radial distance should be used for the tie-breaker. This is wonderful news for people in Reading who live close to the school who were being discriminated against and unfairly excluded by Wokingham Council. "Well done to everyone from the Parents' Campaign and the wider community who has worked so hard to make this happen. "However, in the medium term we need a new secondary school in East Reading. Unfortunately we are still waiting to hear back on that one."

More fair for Wokingham residents who live near the school also.

Wokingham Council.">Wokingham Borough Council confirmed that it was disappointed with the outcome of the Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA)’s review of admissions arrangements at Maiden Erlegh School, in particular that proposed tie-breaker arrangements had been rejected.

Maiden Erlegh School's chairman of governors Huw Jones said: "Maiden Erlegh School adopted Wokingham Borough Council's admission arrangements which were determined by the council on March 31, 2011 when the school became an academy on April 1, 2011. The schools' adjudicator acknowledges that the school acted reasonably in doing this. "Now that Maiden Erlegh is responsible for setting its own admission arrangements it will, of course, accept the Secretary of State's direction to amend the ‘tie-breaker’ arrangement to one of simple radial distance and will include this in the school's published admission arrangements. "The governing body is currently looking at future admission arrangements."

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