Cameron turns down 15 local schools for his girl

The Camerons: The Conservative leader is breaking with party tradition that favours private education
13 April 2012

David Cameron has rejected 15 primary schools on his doorstep to send his daughter to a faith school more than two miles away.

The Conservative leader is breaking with party tradition that favours private education by hoping to send three-yearold Nancy, the eldest of his three children, to a state school.

More here:

• David Cameron to send daughter to a faith school

But he has rejected several primaries with excellent results and inspection reports from education watchdog Ofsted in the streets around his Notting Hill home.

Instead he has chosen St Mary Abbots Primary, a Church of England school off Kensington Church Street, saying he did not want Nancy to get "a bit lost" in a large primary when she starts school in 18 months.

But most of the primaries closer to the Cameron family home have less than 300 pupils, which makes them smaller than average.

Eton-educated Mr Cameron claimed a small Church school would offer more "familiarity".

He told BBC Radio 4's You And Yours programme that he was a member of the "relevant faith". Mr Cameron added: "I'm quite a fan of faith schools and we're looking at a Church school we're very keen on.

"Maybe I'm being over precious and protective of my daughter, but you sort of feel that your small child is going to go into this enormous state primary school and may get a bit lost."

Mr Cameron continued: "I want parents to have a choice. In London you have a choice." St Mary Abbots has 210 pupils and is situated in one of London's most expensive areas.

In its last inspection report, published in 2001, Ofsted said the primary was "a calm, purposeful and very effective school because it meets the needs of all its pupils".

Ofsted added: "By the time pupils leave the school at the age of 11, they achieve very high standards in English, and attain standards in mathematics and science, which are well above average when compared with all schools."

St Mary Abbots is two miles from the Camerons' present home but when the family moves to their house in north Kensington, which is currently being renovated, he will be even further away from the school. Although St Mary Abbots is in one of Britain's property hotspots, where houses regularly cost several million pounds, the school's intake is more socially mixed than its location would suggest.

Ofsted said that four out of 10 pupils come from ethnic minority families - and more than half do not have English as their first language.

Despite this, Ofsted said the school is in the top five per cent nationally for its results achieved by 11-year-olds.

Of the 15 schools - not including Roman Catholic ones - that are closer to Mr Cameron's home, only six have more than 300 pupils.

Mr Cameron has regularly attended St Mary Abbots Church on Sundays and his aides say he has been worshipping there for two years.

Parents wanting to get their children into the school face a tough battle as it is highly competitive.

The majority of parents, however, come from middle-class backgrounds.

Other Conservative Party figures have been seen at the Church including Michael Gove MP and Ed Vasey, who has attended services.

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