Latest News:Latest News - May 2011
New schools admissions code – will it make things fairer?
There are fears that plans to simplify the schools admissions code may make the system of getting your child a place at the school of your choice even more unfair than it already seems to be.
At the moment the schools admissions procedures are overly complicated and, with many of the better regarded schools already heavily oversubscribed, it’s thought that one in five children do not get their first choice of school place.
Whilst laws and a statutory code are designed to prevent state schools from ‘cherry picking’ the brightest or wealthiest pupils, the admissions procedures do differ between schools and areas. In addition, it can be difficult to ensure that schools do not adapt admissions procedures with the aim of improving their positions within the “league tables”. Whilst most schools will apply their own policies such as whether or not the child has a sibling at the school, the distance the child lives from the school and even what religion the child’s family practises, the Schools Adjudicators have found that almost half of schools do break the current admissions code.
Some schools, for example, set unfair aptitude tests, change their catchment areas and even favour children who have been baptised as infants. And whilst the adjudicators can force schools to change their admissions policies the new plans to simplify the system could take away those powers.
The government insists that the proposed new system, taking Local Authorities out of the admissions procedure and allowing parents to apply directly to their chosen school, will be fairer, more transparent and will lead to higher standards.
But some parents and experts feel that this will make schools less accountable to parents over their admissions decisions and that by streamlining the rules this could result in an unfair system.
A draft paper is due to be released soon and we will be interested to see its recommendations.
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© Maxwell Gillott 2008
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