Parent slams Haringey Council over delay in schooling

The stepfather of a 13-year-old girl with only the most basic grasp of English has poured scorn on Haringey Council’s handling of his daughter’s school admission.

Chinese Jinyu Fu arrived just after the beginning of the school year, but has gone three months without schooling and was facing the New Year with no hope of a school place in sight.

Despite being told that Jinyu would take up a place at Hornsey School for Girls on January 4, her stepfather Stephen Tyler was later informed the school was full up.

He claims he was told the school did not recognise the authority of the council’s admissions panel.

Mr Tyler, 59, a tradesman, of Southern Road, Muswell Hill, said: “She is missing out on education. There are so many people who are unemployed these days and I don’t want her to end up flipping burgers. You can’t take away three months of education and expect that to have no effect.”

After being contacted by the Ham&High, the council released this statement: “We have now managed to reach an agreement with the school to accept this student, and she will be attending an admission interview later this week.”

Her stepfather believes it was only third-party intervention that secured Jinyu’s place at the school in Inderwick Road, Crouch End.

“I don’t know if we would have got her a school place if we hadn’t taken matters further,” he said.

“Without some leverage or outside assistance I would still be sat here twiddling my thumbs.

“I really don’t understand why we had to go through this palaver. All I want is a school place for my daughter.

“It’s a bit galling that Haringey has not made allowances for pupils trying to get into school once the school year has started.”