ANGRY parents have slammed the county council for planning to change a school's admission policy to one that would unfairly favour children from certain schools.
Reigate Priory Junior school has been consulting on proposals to change its admission criteria, so it prioritises children who attend Holmesdale Community Infant School and Reigate Parish Church School.
But some parents have said the proposed changes are unfair and could even indirectly discriminate in favour of pupils from a religious background.
Reigate Parish Church School's admission policy says it has a "distinctive Christian ethos" which is "at the heart" of the school. Furthermore, it states that "parents applying for an open place do so knowing that the school provides an education based on Christian principles".
Mother Rachael Munroe who lives in Sandhills Road, Reigate, is concerned she won't be able to get her child into Reigate Priory when the time comes because, despite living less than half-a-mile away from the junior school, they live too far away from the feeder schools.
She said: "It seems very unfair that children living further away from Priory School will be given priority in the allocation of places over children who live nearer the school, just because they are pupils at either Holmesdale or Parish."
She added: "I also don't believe that indirectly discriminating on the grounds of religion can be justified as Priory School is a non-faith school."
Another mother, Suzanne Spilling, who moved to Sandhills Road to be closer to Reigate Priory in the hope of sending her son there in the next few years, said: "I'm really concerned about the changes. I live in Reigate about 100 metres from Reigate Priory but under the changes I have no chance of getting into there and we'd have to travel I don't know how far."
Reigate Priory head teacher Noel Lellman said the council had only sent a consultation out and nothing had been decided, but he refused to comment further.
Surrey County Council said that although Holmesdale and Reigate Parish would be used as feeder schools to Reigate Priory – which they say is currently oversubscribed – any changes would be introduced on a tiered basis so that priority would still be given to children who lived closer to Reigate Priory for a time.
It also reiterated that nothing had yet been decided.
The consultation will be presented to the county council's cabinet on February 26, and any decision will be ratified by the full council on March 19.
Proposed admission criteria for Reigate Priory Junior school:- Looked after and previously looked after children;
- Exceptional social/medical need;
- Children with a sibling attending Reigate Priory School at the time of the child's admission;
- Children attending Holmesdale Infant or Reigate Parish for whom Reigate Priory is the nearest school with junior published admission numbers (PAN);
- Other children for whom Reigate Priory is the nearest school with a junior PAN;
- Children attending Holmesdale Infant or Reigate Parish for whom Reigate Priory is not the nearest school with a junior PAN; and
- Any other children
