Changing admission criteria 2016 help!!!!!

[jessparkin]

Hi ladies and gents. I found out by chance last week that the lovely primary school my son goes to wants to change its admission criteria for 2016. They plan to 1. Remove any priority for siblings (even existing ones)

1. Change church attendance criteria from any c of e church to the one next to school.

The head told me she understands my frustration that my second son won't get in as her child didn't get a preferred school for her son. the new criteria was published in mid July after the deadline for appeals to schools adjudicator. There was no form of consultation prior to it going on school website. This is against school admissions code and the council have confirmed this. The council also said schools adjudicator case law only allows changes to sibling files for new entrants to the school. Existing siblings must be allowed in under old rules,

Has anyone got an example of this oil can use as despite council pressure on the school they are dragging their feet and refusing to talk to us until September.

Surely a school can't bypass the schools admissions code and procedures by putting policies up so late that we have missed deadline to appeal??? Advice please!!!

From fairadmissions.org.uk;

"If a school wishes to change or formally review existing admissions arrangements at schools that it controls it must follow a statutory consultation process, which is set out in sections 1.42 to 1.50 of the English School Admissions Code and Chapter 2 of the Welsh School Admissions Code. Details on how a school changes its Published Admissions Number are set out in sections 1.2-1.5 of the English Code and Chapter 2 of the Welsh Code."

If they have failed to abide by this, then refer them to the Schools Adjudicator. If the council are having no impact, I would refer the school now, not in September.

If they have genuinely failed to hold a consultation they cannot change their admission criteria. If they had a consultation but you didn't notice they are probably in the clear. They were required to put a copy of the draft admission arrangements on their website, contact certain people and advertise the fact the consultation was taking place. It is not uncommon for parents not to realise that there is a consultation I'm afraid.

There is certainly some support for the council's suggestion that the Adjudicator may force the school to retain sibling priority for pupils already at the school. There was a decision to that effect in a case concerning Dartford Grammar School for Girls last year (ref ADA2616).

I wouldn't worry about missing the deadline to appeal. You should still be able to lodge an objection with the Adjudicator.

Thanks ladies I have had it in writing from both the school and the council that no consultation took place. The school are intending to hold a meeting in September to inform parents of what the changes are.

So looks like we are ok. Just added stress for the hols

Hurrah email from head at 10.30 last night policy has changed back to last years policy!