Brake's campaign to put local children first gathers pace

4.05.29pm GMT Tue 17th Feb 2009

Local people have responded passionately to Tom Brake's latest eDemocracy survey, insisting that local children should have priority places in Sutton Borough schools.

Tom's latest poll found that an overwhelming 96% of people opposed wider catchment-areas for two local schools Wallington High School for Girls and Nonsuch. Only 4% felt that parents from outside Sutton should have equal priority for school places. Tom put the poll results to the Headteacher at Wallington Girls when he met her on Friday.

Residents reported to Tom their personal experiences of struggling to get their children into their first-choice school.

Commenting on these results, Tom Brake said: "Local parents want the best for their children.

"We are blessed here in Sutton with some of London's very best schools. Whilst it's understandable that parents from elsewhere should want to send their children here, the excellence of our local services is the product of local effort and local action.

"The people of Carshalton and Wallington want this recognised, and want first priority for Sutton's children in Sutton's schools, and I agree with them wholeheartedly."

Tom Brake, MP for Carshalton and Wallington, is stepping up his 'Sutton's Schools 4 Sutton's Kids' campaign in response to these findings with the launch of a new petition. The first two hundred people signed the petition in Wallington town centre on Saturday. To sign Tom Brake's petition on-line, go to www.tombrake.co.uk/petitions