Fury of parents as schools are shut across London to become polling stations

A cyclist in a European-themed casts his vote in north London
Neil Hall/Reuters

Parents have hit out at the closures of hundreds of London schools so they can become polling stations for today’s EU referendum.

More than 770 primary schools and nurseries across the city have shut, meaning thousands of parents have had to pay for extra childcare or take a day off work to supervise their children.

Parents in Barnet are furious over the closure of St Andrew’s primary even after the Electoral Commission suggested an alternative venue.

Totteridge Village Hall was highlighted — but the council chose the school, which is free to use, instead.

Professional singer Hazel Fernandes, whose 11-year-old daughter attends St Andrew’s, said: “In all the years my daughter has been at St Andrew’s we’ve gone out of our way to ensure that she has full attendance.

"The one time we took her out for an unavoidable family arrangement we were fined £120.

“If my daughter’s education is at risk from us preventing her from going to school for one day, then the council should refund me any money it has taken when it does the same.

“If there is an alternative venue perhaps they should pay for that with the fine income they have taken from parents.”

Barnet council said: “A range of factors are considered when deciding on locations of polling stations, including accessibility and security.

EU Referendum polling day - in pictures

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“In the instance of St Andrew’s [we] decided to keep the polling station in the current location as it provided better pedestrian and public transport access. We try to minimise disruption to schools as much as possible.”

However, Justin Plasett, a recruitment consultant and father to two pupils, said: “I don’t see how they can make that claim. The bus stop is as near to the hall as to the school and the hall has a car park, which the school doesn’t. If anything it’s more accessible.

“Like many other parents in this situation, I’ve got to choose between taking the day off work to care for the kids or pay for childcare for the day.”

Some of the most densely populated boroughs have the most closures, with Lambeth shutting 48 schools. Lewisham, Tower Hamlets, Greenwich and Havering are closing more than 40. The average is 24 closures per borough.

In April, parents of pupils at Shacklewell primary in Hackney claimed that closing it for use as a polling station would cost them between £50 to £100 in childcare.

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