PARENTS of children applying to Bromsgrove’s oversubscribed high schools have spoken of their frustration at both having to send them to Rubery and the transport arrangements to get them there.
The Standard was contacted this week following the offers and subsequent unsuccessful appeals by mums who live close to the schools.
Extra places
For September 2025, the demand for year nine places in Bromsgrove, was higher than the number of places available at North and South Bromsgrove High Schools.
Worcestershire County Council’s Education Sufficiency and Place Planning Team have been working with both high schools to identify options to increase places.
North Bromsgrove High School was able to offer an additional 30 year nine places for September 2025 with financial investment agreed by the authority and South Bromsgrove High School has been able to offer an additional six year nine places. But, it would appear, that has still been insufficient.
Some families, particularly those who did not apply for the nearest or catchment school to their home address, have been offered places at the next nearest school with year nine places.
These have included Waseley Hills High School, Droitwich Spa High School and schools in Wyre Forest.
Parents’ experiences
Lisa Collins, one parent whose son has been offered Waseley Hills High School, despite her living in Sidemoor just 2.1 miles away from South Bromsgrove High, where she applied to.
Her son, who has ADHD, anxiety and other needs, still did not get in, despite a supporting letter from St John’s Middle School where he attended up until this year.
She went before the appeal panel and tried to get her son into North but the original placement was upheld.
He is currently 43rd on the waiting list for South and also on the waiting list for North.
Transport woes
To make matters worse, Mrs Collins was unable to get school transport for her son and is now facing a £175-a-term bill for him to use public transport.
And, because of the times of the public buses not coinciding with school start and finish times, he will have to leave earlier in the morning and not be able to get the return service from Rubery until after 4pm.
She also has two other children with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and, because she has to get them to separate schools, has had to change her job and cut her working hours.
She said she had been told that the number of pupils having to make the trip from Bromsgrove to Rubery to get to school is more than 30 – a whole new class size.
Another parent, Anita Arscott-Brrookes, who lives on Breme Park – less than a mile from South Bromsgrove High – has also been allocated Waseley Hills High for her son.
She said this was the second time in four years it had happened to him as he had to go to Catshill Middle School after failing to get a place at St John’s and losing the appeal.
Mrs Arscott-Brookes has been offered school transport for her son but it means her driving 3.7 miles to Marlbrook each morning and afternoon to drop him off at the stop and pick him up.
She said: “Our views are no reflection on Waseley Hills High as it looks a great school but it is just the distance.
“It will add two hours onto my son’s day and it’s a shame he will not have the same walking to school experience and that new independence that others have.
“The situation is already bad but what is it going to be like when these new homes get built?”
Worcestershire County Council response
Coun Dr Stephen Foster, Worcestershire County Council Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Education and SEND, said: “I understand how upsetting and frustrating it can be for families when they are not able to secure a place at their preferred school.
“Both North and South Bromsgrove High Schools are popular schools and are oversubscribed for year nine places for September 2025.
“Despite Worcestershire County Council’s extra investment to increase capacity, the pressure on school places still remains.
“School transport is allocated in line with our policy to ensure fairness, but we do take each pupil’s individual circumstances into account.
“We will keep engaging with local schools and will speak directly with any families who are concerned, so that we can offer support wherever possible.”
County council’s transport policy
With regard to the county council’s transport policy – transport is only offered to eligible parents who have applied to their catchment school within the normal school admissions deadlines.
If parents do not get offered a place at their catchment school and the place they are offered is over statutory walking distance, they would be offered offered transport.
If parents apply to a school out of their catchment area, transport is not offered.
Some of the Bromsgrove children going to Waseley Hills High School will be receiving transport if they applied for their catchment school but were given Waseley Hills High School.
