Wigan mum's anger after school mix up

An unhappy Wigan mum has hit out at the secondary school admissions process after her daughter was involved in a heartbreaking mix-up.
The Deanery High SchoolThe Deanery High School
The Deanery High School

Amanda Quinn, from Newtown, said her family had been left deeply upset after her daughter was unable to join all her classmates at Hawkley Hall High School.

Wigan Council said it sympathised with the emotional stress of not going to the same secondary as her peers from Marus Bridge Primary School but was clear she had been allocated a place at The Deanery CE High School instead.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However, Amanda says her family has been messed about due to complete confusion over where her daughter is meant to be going in September. She was told after an unsuccessful appeal about the Hawkley Hall decision that her child had a place at The Deanery but then claimed Marus Bridge Primary pupils who went to an induction at the Carr Lane school said her daughter was listed in a form there.

Amanda says she rang the school and even went to an event for prospective year seven parents at Hawkley Hall but was then told a mistake had been made.

However, it also appears The Deanery has no record of Amanda’s daughter joining them in September, leaving her in a very upsetting limbo and worried about her future.

The council has said it is unsure how such a muddle has arisen as it had provided reassurance about the school place but Amanda, of Scot Lane, has hit out at the confusion surrounding what is already a difficult moment in any young Wiganer’s life.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Amanda, 44, said: “When we went along to The Deanery we were told her name was not on their list, and then the Marus Bridge pupils who went to Hawkley’s induction day said her name had been read out.

“I was assured we had got a place there and then the following morning I got a letter saying she hadn’t.

“The left hand doesn’t seem to know what the right hand is doing.

“My 11-year-old child has had to be told again she hasn’t got a place at Hawkley after she had gone into school and told all her friends she had.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Every single one of her classmates is going to Hawkley and she’s got to go to The Deanery on her own.

“It wouldn’t be that much of an issue if they hadn’t messed her about so much. It’s awful.

“It’s a little girl making the move from primary to high school. She’s the only one in her class who’s not got in and now on top of that there’s all this mess.”

The town hall has said it is certain Amanda’s daughter is going to the Frog Lane school and it has already provided reassurance that is the case.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

James Winterbottom, director for children’s services at Wigan Council, said: “We understand this must have been an extremely distressing time for Amanda and her daughter and we have assured them that she does have a place to start school in September.

“Wigan Council has had her allocated to The Deanery since national allocation day in March 2018, and her name has been on every list sent to the school.

“The Deanery CE High School has also confirmed that they are expecting her to start with them in September.

“We hope this will reassure both Amanda and her daughter.”

Related topics: