Below are the following options available to the authorities

1) Set up a new schools

The ideal solution will be to set up new schools in the neighbourhood to

cope with demand.

Unfortunately in February 2009, the government department for Children, Schools and Families announced:  We have already agreed and allocated funding for schools for the next three years based on pupil projections by local authorities.

But we know that even where there is no funding, a local council can still be supportive by redesignating sites for educational use in anticipation of emergency funding.   This is what Conservatives in the council, led by Suzanne Poole are lobbying the Labour Lambeth leadership to do.

2) Expand existing good schools

While expanding good schools can help, we know that this is not the first choice of many parents.

We support giving parents real choice for their children, but we do not believe in forcing schools to expand against their wishes.

As the Labour run Lambeth council has already spent the education budget, we must demand that they lobby and make a special case for emergency funding just like their Conservative counterparts in Southwark are doing.

Kemi Adegoke, our parliamentary candidate has already written a letter explaining the situation to Michael Gove, the Conservative Shadow Secretary for Children Schools & Families.

He has highlighted that an extra 220,000 places will be created if there is a new Conservative administration.  It is up to us to make the case for some of these school places to be in Herne Hill.

3) Improve standards of existing under-subscribed schools.

Jessop, Jubilee and St. Saviour’s schools all serve parts of Herne Hill. However, as they have all been rated at Grade 3 (Satisfactory) they are seldom first choice schools for parents.

Suggestions on what can be done to improve the standard of existing primary schools can be found on our website.