Academy changing admissions criteria

[SpareButtons]

Just been told that they are going to put children of permanent staff members immediately after looked after children so therefore at the top of the list. Above catchment, siblings and everyone else.

I assume as an academy they can just do this in the same way they increased the PAN last year.

Is this a common admission criteria or a common adoption by academies or just our school?

Perhaps you missed it

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8541457/Teachers-children-prioritised-in-school-admissions-overhaul.html
but it is government policy

would teachers generally want their dc at the school they teach at

I can see it would cause a number of problems

Out of interest, if a school adopts these criteria do they apply to site, catering and cleaning staff. What about TAs and nursery nurses? Or is it just teachers?

Yes christinerossetti it would apply to all staff.

It is now possible to put this in the admission criteria but they can't just make the change. I assume that the academy is currently consulting on its admission criteria for sept 2014 entry.
What the school admission code says is that they can give priority in the following situations
A) where the member of staff has been employed at the school for two or more years at the time of application or
B) the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skill shortage
So it is not quite all staff getting priority. To be honest if I was support staff and not given this same privilege as teaching staff then I would asking a few equality issue questions!

As Admission says, they can't just put all children of permanent staff ahead of everyone else. If that is their intention point them at paragraph 1.39 of the Admissions Code.

Thanks for all the info. They don't state exactly when they propose to implement this but within the document it refers to entry in Sept 2013.

The proposal is "children of all permanent members of staff." It doesn't mention the employed for 2 years or the filling a skill shortage bit. Can they ignore those if they are an academy and make it whatever they wish?

Agree with Tiggytape. If they adopt the new criteria following the consultation you can lodge an objection with the Schools Adjudicator.

Thank you Tiggytape and prh47bridge,
Can they consult now for Sept 2013 entry, given the deadline for Sept 2013 applications has passed or would they have to be consulting for Sept 2014?

A few of us have children due to start school this Sept and some are just out of catchment so this could be the thing that takes the place from one of our children. Some of us do have an older child in school already but not all.

There has to be an 8 week consultation period for the SEpt 2014 admission criteria, which has to be completed before the 1st March.
In theory they cold apply to the schools adjudicator for a change of admission criteria for september 2013 but there is now way they would accept such a change. It would have to be related to a mistake in the current criteria, not just a wish to change it, as it would be a major upheaval for the school and all the parents who are applying for the school.

Thank you tiggy and admission.

So to clarify they need an 8 week consultation?

The consultation has to be complete by 1st March 2013 to apply towards Sept 2014?

They are already too late to apply this for Sept 2013?

They need to propose a change that includes the 2yrs of employment and specific skill set criteria not just all permanent staff?

Finally is there an online version of the document that prescribes this that we could print & submit to them? I assume better to do so now rather than let them go ahead and then complain to the adjudicator?

Just for the sake of clarity, it's 2yrs of employment or specific skill set criteria.

It is, as CaseyShraeger says, 2 years of employment or filling a post where there is a shortage.

The Admissions Code is on the DfE website. They will be aware of it and know where to find it. It will be a waste of paper if everyone lodging an objection prints a copy and sends it to the school! Simply refer to paragraph 1.39 of the School Admissions Code.

Yes sorry I realise it is or not and. That was badly written on my part.

Thank you all for your help.