1. Is there a legal agreement between Bradford council and Eldwick village to give children in Eldwick village priority over Eldwick school places, following the move to the new location in the former Gilstead middle school in the year 2000?
No. No such agreement exists. The move took place 12 years ago and the schools and the council are giving priority to Eldwick village children citing the reason that ‘they do not have reasonable access to other available schools other than travelling to and past Eldwick Primary School.’
2. Is it true that all children living in the priority 1 area of Eldwick village live further away from alternative schools?
No. Based on the Bradford schools admissions measurement methodology (straight line distance measurements). A large proportion of the current priority 1 area live closer to Priestthorpe community school than those living in the current priority 2 area. Many addresses in the current priority 1 area are closer to Trinity All Saints and Crossflatts primaries too. In fact areas of Gilstead that Bradford council are proposing to take out of the catchment area completely and areas within the proposed priority area 2, also have no other school within reasonable distance to attend.
3. Do children living in Eldwick have to travel past Eldwick school to go to an alternative school?
No. If you are travelling into Bingley from Eldwick priority area 1 the shortest and quickest way would be to go down the main road which is Park Road and not the longer Ferncliffe Road route which also has lower speed limit and traffic calming measures. Nearly everyone from PA2 does have to pass the school.
4. Do children living in Eldwick have less choice of an alternative school than those living in Gilstead?
No. Based on 2012 figures when Eldwick school were heavily subscribed, children living in Eldwick could have obtained places at Crossflatts Primary and Trinity All Saints Primary. The majority of Gilstead children had Trinity All Saints as the only option. Only children baptised Catholic were offered a place at St Josephs Catholic primary, Bingley in 2012.
5. Is Eldwick school primarily for Eldwick children?
No. Eldwick school moved to the site of the Gilstead middle school 12 years ago, when infant and junior schools were merged. The school has historically served both the villages of Eldwick and Gilstead - alternative schools are down a 1:7 gradient for ALL concerned.
6. Will making the school larger solve the issue?
No. The decision to expand the school has not been made. This has been proposed previously by the council and was objected to by local residents. This does not take away the fact that the proposals exclude the majority of Gilstead from the catchment area.
7. How can I make a complaint if I'm not happy with the Eldwick school admission policy?
During the consultation period on the proposed changes you should either write to Nina Mewse by:-
or letter to:
Nina Mewse,
School Organisation and Place Planning,
Future House,
Bolling Road,
BRADFORD,
BD4 7EB.
Once the admission criteria has been fixed any complaints should be sent to the schools independent adjudicator at the following web address: https://www.education.gov.uk/schoolsadjudicator/howwecanhelp/objection
8. How can I help change the Eldwick school oversubscription criteria?
You can help by sending the council an objection (see template letter), lobbying your MP and councillors who are
and signing the petition to make the Eldwick school over subscription criteria fairer (link to follow).
