But serious funding needed for the future
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I am pleased to let you know that the Liberal Democrat campaign to secure local schools for all children entering primary education this September has been successful.
I know this has been of concern to many parents, grandparents and friends.
Kingston Council has announced that extra classes will be going into another 5 schools and this will ensure that 97% of all families will get one of their preferred schools.
Lists of the schools and the numbers of extra pupils they will take are on the Council website. Individual families will receive their offer letters later this month (March 2009).
Permanent solution
I have also been discussing with Kingston Council the urgent need to produce a long term, permanent solution to the huge increase in demand for primary school places, and Kingston Council will now be consulting on a major expansion plan later this year.
The early work suggests Kingston will need to spend more than £20 million on expanding existing schools and building at least two new ones, which will require significant funds from national Government.
Surbiton
I believe Surbiton must in particular have a new primary school, and the latest figures show strongly it should be near central Surbiton.
Personally I think that land on the Surbiton Hospital site that we won't need for the proposed modernisation of our local health services would make a terrific site.
London wide problem
In my discussions with Whitehall civil servants and Ministers, it's clear this is a London-wide problem, with some Boroughs harder hit than Kingston.
That's why I recently secured a special Commons debate to argue Kingston's case, and demand an urgent and strategic solution for London. You can read the debate in full on Hansard.
I will be following this up with meetings with Ministers, but I'm keen to increase the pressure on Government to provide the funding, so I've launched a new petition below.
Sign the petition
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