Anyone got any experience of the OSA (Office of the School Adjudicator)

[kewbride]

Like many, we are haven't got our eldest daughter into our local secondary school. We are appealing.

As an aside to that we have asked for the figures for siblings who live outside of the current catchment area who have been offered places for this September. They have provided us with half the figures but still need to confirm the addresses for 50 siblings, (I am not entirely sure why this takes so much time). If the proportion of siblings out of catchment is more than the offers made to children in catchment do you think we may have a case to argue that the current admissions process is unfair to local children?

There was this article from November, so the OSA are already on to this:

www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/schools-urged-to-scrap-unfair-admissions-rule-for-siblings-8973650.html

This school also runs challenges where 10% of its intake is selected on aptitude, (so again, likely to be from outside of the catchment), which might meant the majority of children entering Year 7 in September live outside of the catchment. (often a train journey away)

My daughter has been offered a school local to many of these out of catchment children. Can't say I'm feeling very happy about that!

Is there a case here? I am definitely going to pursue the school on it's future admissions criteria as I also have a younger daughter.

Yes I made contact with them. This was for unlawful admissions criteria. You could contact them and see what they say I found them very helpful.

I'll give them a call. Feel out of my depth and up against a wall of bureaucracy at the moment. We can't really afford to pay lawyers for help right now so am trying to find out as much information as I can.

thank you for your response.

The Schools Adjudicator only deals with making sure admission arrangements comply with the Admissions Code and relevant legislation. They cannot award your child a place at the school nor can they intervene on your behalf.

The Adjudicator's reported comments are odd given that the Admissions Code has always permitted sibling priority. Previous versions of the Code suggested that sibling priority is a good thing. The current version includes sibling priority as category 2 in the sample admission arrangements. So she is effectively saying she disagrees with the Code she is supposed to enforce.

You could try suggesting that the current process is unfair to local children but I doubt that will get you anywhere. The panel can only intervene if the admission arrangements are contrary to the Admissions Code or relevant law and it does not sound like they are. Even if there is a problem you would still need to prove that you would have got a place had the arrangements complied with the law.

So overall I'm afraid you haven't got a case on these grounds. You need to concentrate on why your daughter needs to go to this school - what are the features of this school (curriculum, after school clubs, etc.) that are particularly relevant to her.

I imagine they are making the comments based on the numbers of objections they are receiving from parents regarding schools not being able to offer places to catchment children due to the high numbers of out of catchment siblings.

You are absolutely right though, the OSA can't help us get our daughter in . We will still pursue the governing body for future amendment of the admissions criteria because it isn't catering for the needs of local children currently and people do take advantage of the sibling rule.

Separately to that we are also appealing on the grounds you have suggested. I'm not terribly hopeful as generally not many appeals are successful at this particular school, and they will be getting a very high number this year. Everyone seems to be appealing on similar grounds, and some on grounds which sound a bit dubious, but people do what they have to I guess. Even then, I feel the appeals process is geared towards parents who can invest money in it as many end up consulting specialists.

What we would really like to achieve is to persuade the school to take on an extra FE. This year group is a bulge year in this area, and when they started reception in 2007, an extra form entry needed to be added to the infant school my daughter attended. Since then a number of extra FE have been added at primary level but no such expansion at secondary level. The proposed secondary expansion won't be for another 2 years. It's a real mess. The County Council are winging it from what I can tell as the proposed 2016 expansion plans for the 2 secondary schools in the area, (one of which is going to be completely rebuilt), haven't even had the planning permission approved yet!!!

Even then, I feel the appeals process is geared towards parents who can invest money in it as many end up consulting specialists

In my experience consulting alleged specialists is generally a waste of time. I have yet to come across a case where a specialist has helped but I have come across far too many cases where a specialist has seriously damaged the chances of success through giving the parents advice that was damagingly wrong. I always recommend avoiding alleged specialists.

Appeal panels certainly are not biased towards parents who turn up with a specialist to help them.

That's good to know prh47bridge. thank you

There is no way that the school is going to release the data of 50 addresses of people offered places at the school. They will find themselves in all sorts of problems over data protection if they did this, especially when the pupils have not even started at the school. The most you are likely to get is some kind of generalised information on the distance from school but not specific addresses.
I agree with PRH that the views of the adjudicator seem at odds with the previously expressed views on siblings having priority and feel that unless there is something illegal about the admission criteria that you will not get anywhere in trying to say that the admission criteria is wrong if it is admitting too many siblings.
You may have more chance in persuading the school to alter the admission criteria to giving priority to siblings in area, then others in area, then siblings out of area.

admission - As I said in my original post, we don't expect or want specific addresses, we would like to know the number of out of catchment children who have been offered places for this September. If the figure is high, then we will use that as part of our case to influence future admissions criteria for this school.

I don't think the views of the adjudicator are at odds with regards to secondary schools. I think the sibling rule is necessary at primary level, (primarily due to travel reasons), but at secondary level children are expected to be able to make their own way to and from school. I agree that there should be priority for siblings in catchment, children in catchment, and then siblings out of catchment.

I don't think the views of the adjudicator are at odds with regards to secondary schools

You may agree with the Adjudicator but the fact is that her views are at odds with the Code she is supposed to enforce (which is what both Admission and I are saying). The current Code contains sample admission arrangements for a secondary school. They put all siblings in the second category, just behind looked after children and ahead of everyone else.

Previous versions of the Admissions Code positively encouraged all schools to give priority to siblings.

If she attempts to force her views on schools she would almost certainly be overruled by judicial review. She must enforce the Code as it stands, not as she would like it to be.

Kewbride I don't think your problem is one an appeals panel or the adjudicator can deal with - it seems the admissions rules have had an unintended consequence and it is up to the governors to change them but that would be for the intake after next now unfortunately. Have you spoken to anyone at the LEA about the bulge class idea? As local elections are soon local councillors might also be willing to help?

I do appreciate that she is at odds with the current code and I realise she isn't able to enforce her view. I believe she is raising the issue to advise and alert schools and governing bodies to the problem of the current priority given to 'out of catchment' siblings in some schools, and the impact this has on first born catchment children gaining access to their local school.

Some schools have already amended their admissions criteria in line with this.

I am aware that every school has to consult on it's admissions process, so I am currently gathering information with a view to influencing the amendment of the admissions criteria for future intakes, (I know these efforts won't help my current situation, but I also have a younger daughter whom I will need to make an application for in 4 years time). My husband has already met with the head teacher and admissions manager and they accept that their current criteria isn't ideal, (they also run challenges for out of catchment children which is a hangover from when the school was undersubscribed, and they are already looking to scrap them).

HPparent - My husband has met with the school and we have been in touch with our county council, other parents have met with our councillor. Both have balked at the idea of an extra FE, but then they would as it throws up all sorts of space, funding and recruitment issues which the school would rather not have to deal with.

The school we have been allocated, (which is not in our town), needs improvement, it has major issues with discipline and children are distracted in lessons as a result. I'm totally gutted.

tiggytape - of course you are absolutely right in what you say, this is a foundation school and they are entitled to set their own admissions criteria. We can only hope you influence future amendment of this and yes, I think the school will be sensitive to the views of the community.

thank you for all your responses, I do appreciate it. It's a confusing and steep learning curve when you are suddenly thrown into a process which you previously knew nothing about so forums like this are invaluable.