By Justin Parkinson BBC News Online education staff

Parents are worried about Brixton children's welfare

The centre of Brixton, in south London, is an area with more problems than most - because it lacks a single state secondary school.

After pupils there leave primary education, they are expected to travel, on average, four miles from home each morning.

So a group of parents is calling for Brixton, situated in the middle of the borough of Lambeth, to get its own City Academy - one of the government's main initiatives to improve urban education.

'A big deal'

Publicity should not be a problem, as former South African President and race-relations hero Nelson Mandela has agreed to its bearing his name.

Devon Allison, chairwoman of the Secondary Schools Campaign in Lambeth (SCCIL) expects the academy to open its doors in September 2005.

She said: "It would be the first parent-sponsored academy. Many of us involved in the campaign are parent-governors in primary schools.

It's been horrendous for most parents. It's a real lottery, knowing that we are told to apply for seven or eight schools to make sure our children get a place Cynthia Winifred, parent

"We know about governing schools and we live here. These are our kids and our friends' kids. We would do a good job of creating a secondary school.

"We are used to people talking about how awful Brixton is. It means a big deal to kids here to have a school.

"It's great that someone like Mandela is willing to give his name to our campaign. People here are excited. It should make it a lot easier for us to raise sponsorship."

Under the academies scheme, private sponsors put up 20% of the start-up costs to a maximum of �2m, with the rest coming from taxpayers.

'Lottery'

Sponsors run them, while the state pays the costs.

An academy for Brixton cannot happen quickly enough, according to fellow SCCIL member Cynthia Winifred, a parent who has been through the tortuous process of finding a secondary school for her daughter.

She said: "It's been horrendous for most parents. It's a real lottery, knowing that we are told to apply for seven or eight schools to make sure our children get a place.

"As we don't have a secondary in Brixton and there aren't enough places in the Lambeth borough for everyone, we are at a disadvantage.

Mandela received a hero's welcome when he visited Brixton

"Other boroughs have spaces, but our children are competing with others from lots of other places to get in.

"So the kids from around here are on waiting lists in places where other children have the priority.

"Even when they get places, some children have had to go all the way to Croydon or Richmond for schooling. And the kids who get rejected by schools are left feeling very bad."

Brixton is a crowded urban area, but the parents have identified a suitable site for an academy - 11.4-acres of grassland above a Thames Water reservoir.

It looks foreboding, surrounded as it is by barbed wire and overlooked by Brixton Prison.

The site is also not on the market, but the parents are hopeful they can turn it into a centre for sports, arts and recreation for the entire community.

'Complete disaster'

More than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling for a City Academy and 500 have written to the local MP, Keith Hill.

London schools minister Stephen Twigg has offered to help with negotiations.

Earlier this week, Tony Blair promised an "unremitting focus" on improving five London local authorities - including Lambeth - where education performances were "unacceptably low".

He promised to increase the number of City Academies and to extend parent power.

So, with the backing of Mr Mandela and friendly words from Mr Blair, the parents' hopes of providing secondary education within Brixton may not be unfounded.

Mrs Winifred looks forward to a joyous afternoon in 2005 when Mr Mandela comes to south London to open an academy named in honour of his achievements - one complete with sixth form and sports facilities.

She said: "Our children are achieving above average results at primary level, despite being in one of the deprived areas of Europe.

"After that it's a complete disaster. Children are sent far away from home, with no friends and to somewhere where the teachers don't know them.

"It would be so much better if they could go to school right here.