Missing school

A mother is teaching her son at home because of transport issues with getting him to a new school.

Jack Clarke (6) of Breamer Road, Collingham, is one of 15 pupils from Besthorpe Primary School who have had to move to a new school.

Nottinghamshire County Council closed Besthorpe because of falling pupil numbers.

It was due to officially close on December 31 but because every pupil, apart from Jack, accepted places at other schools it did not open this term.

Jack’s mother, Miss Rachael Clarke (34) said a letter was sent to parents during the summer holidays telling them that pupils should not return to Besthorpe in September.

Jack and the other pupils were automatically given a place at Queen Eleanor Primary School, Harby, because it was similar in size to Besthorpe school.

A school bus is provided that takes 50 minutes to get from Collingham to Harby because it stops at several villages.

Miss Clarke believes this journey is too long and wants her son to go to Winthorpe Primary School because it is closer to their home.

Miss Clarke, who does not drive, said the county council had not provided suitable transport for Jack to either school so she felt her only choice was to keep him at home.

She said: “It is only ten to 15 minutes on the bus to Winthorpe.

“The problem is there is no dedicated transport to Winthorpe school so I would have to get a bus to the village with Jack and then go back on the bus to pick him up.

“The county council has said that we could have free bus passes but the way the bus times are it would be a 40-minute wait to get a bus back from the village in the afternoon.”

Jack was a pupil at Besthorpe for about a year after Miss Clarke moved him from John Blow Primary School, Collingham, because she thought he would benefit from smaller class sizes.

She said Jack had been able to travel to Besthorpe with other pupils on a service bus because a teacher met them at the other end.

She said: “When Jack was at John Blow he was struggling so I thought I would move him to a smaller school to see if that was the problem.

“With the concentrated teaching he made good progress and was achieving above average results for his age.

“I am very disappointed because Jack was transferred to Harby automatically with no permission from me.

“The county council’s policy for education is every child matters but obviously Jack doesn’t in this case.”

Miss Clarke said she did not want to teach Jack at home permanently.

She said: “He is ever so sad and he is asking on a daily basis when he can go back to school.

“I am doing my best. I am doing two hours of solid work with him a day but I am not a teacher, I am a parent.

“I want him back in school. It would be such a relief to see him happy in a new school.”

Miss Clarke said she contacted the local government ombudsman to say the county council’s solution was not suitable.

She said: “I realise it is going to be hard for the county council and I realise there is no transport in place from Winthorpe to Collingham for school time but this is an exceptional situation. I think they should look at providing a taxi to take Jack to school.

“This situation is not Jack’s fault and I don’t see why he should suffer.”

A spokesman for the county council said the ombudsman thought the council’s offer of a free bus pass for both Miss Clarke and her son was a creative solution.

She said they were told Miss Clarke was not satisfied with the offer and they were reviewing the situation.

The spokesman said the council would sell the Besthorpe school building if a use could not be found.