Fair School Admissions Hertfordshire

[FairAdmissions]

I recently had some success challenging the admissions arrangements for my local secondary school in Hertfordshire - fingers crossed that the Local Authority & School now deliver on making the necessary changes to bring their admissions in line with the Admission Code!

I was just wondering if anyone else out there was struggling with accessing their nearest school, or having any other issues due to the complex arrangements for single-sex, partially selective and co-ed schools in Hertfordshire? I think some of the decision made in my case may have wider implications for other single-sex schools, and I'd be happy to share what I learned about the process and help other families and communities.

I know that a lot of the problems in Herts and across the country are caused by allowing schools to act as their own admissions authority and a lack of coordination/oversight. However, I do feel quite strongly that schools and the LA should be challenged where they are cherry picking or hanging on to 'traditional' ideas about how education should work and who schools are there to serve, when it causes heartache for people who just want their children to receive a good, local, comprehensive education.

Anyway if there is interest in organizing something more generally in Herts, drop me a line on here.

Hi! This sounds interesting.

We will be applying to Hertfordshire in October. We're moving into the area and I'm hoping for single-sex schools as first choices.

It sees a little complicated because of priority areas and priority primary schools. On one hand, we are moving to a village, but not in their priority area.

I think I've read your post too quickly in excitement. Can you elaborate or are you offering advice in direct messages?

Thanks

It's more to help if you think you have grounds to challenge the current admissions arrangements because they disadvantage you.

For example with some of the single-sex schools, they overlook children who live close to the school while they admit children who live much further away.

Is it one of the Stortford schools you're looking at? Probably unlikely to get a place if you're not in the priority area at all. I guess you're only hope for a challenge would be if there was no sound rationale for not including your village in the PA and you were in a dead zone generally where you risk not getting any school.

Hi again,

I'm using the app and can't find a way to dm you. Do you know how and could dm first? Yes and yes to the above. Only middle schools seem to be catchment. But if we're leaving in Year 6 (in our area, and moving to Herts) I don't want her to move again in Year 8. What's your view on this?

Would prefer to dm so I can be specific.

Glad to hear your challenge went the way you wanted. What a stress but relief now I hope.

We are in Stortford too - have been for 25 years. My daughter goes to the girls school and we will be applying in October for our son and had always assumed he would go to the boys school (would have got in on distance for the last 12 years). However reading the admissions criteria for 2022, his primary school has been moved out of its usual feeder school group amongst other primary schools of a similar distance away from the boys school, and been placed in a feeder school group with the 2 nearest schools to the secondary school.

To show the effect of this the furthest distance offered a place from their old feeder school group last year was 1400m, their new feeder school group was just 400m (we live 1100m away) so there is now virtually no chance of a place at the boys school which is so disappointing and seems completely unfair as now unless you have a sibling there are very little change of anyone at his primary gaining a place - we live just about the nearest to the secondary school so everyone else has even less chance !

I did raise this with the secondary school and there answer was that they were trying to ensure that every primary school in stortford had an equal chance of a place but they just haven't and that is completely untrue.

You've mentioned no sound rationale to not include our village; this is a fair point as mentioned above, the other schools are middle schools. I guess in the first instance is to wait and see what happens?

Nothing I can do now I guess?

Hi Hersetta. Yes, looking at the Stortford High criteria, the groupings only work if the schools in each group are close to each other, so I see the problem.

You've missed the deadline to object for this year unfortunately, so you won't be able to change anything in time for your own application.

In honesty, you might have a hard time demonstrating that the rules to Stortford High are unfair or otherwise not in keeping with the code overall... especially if you're nearer to another secondary.

It might be worth a punt if there was one or two primaries the school had singled out to put in inappropriate groups... perhaps ones with a higher proportion of children on free school meals or lower ofsted score. But there's nothing in the code that says they have to offer everyone an equal chance of getting a place, especially if the boys less likely to get a place have a higher chance at other schools.

For example withPressdales school- our village is not listed in their priority areas- others are further away. Is it because our village has closer middle schools? Why couldn't our village be included?

Sent you a message about presdales, they have v similar arrangements to what was successfully challenged at Hitchin Girls

Replied. Thanks

What address are they using for Boys High in Stortford, new or old school? Not sure if it will make a difference but I thought the point of changing the groupings were the change of address. They do have an extra 12 spots so a free hit (no corresponding siblings) so you never know

I asked that question and they said they the local authority hadn't decided yet ! Surely as it hasn't been decided and published they have to use the old address.

The more I think about it, the more I think it is retribution for the primary school getting automatic admission to the girls school as they are part of the same MAT.