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School admissions cheats revealed School admissions cheats revealed
(20 minutes later)
Ministers have said that 96 schools out of 570 that it checked have been found to be breaking the code on admissions.Ministers have said that 96 schools out of 570 that it checked have been found to be breaking the code on admissions.
Of those, six were asking parents to make financial commitments as part of the admissions process.Of those, six were asking parents to make financial commitments as part of the admissions process.
Many of the other cases involved not giving due priority to children in care or with special needs. Many of the other cases - in England -involved not giving due priority to children in care or with special needs.
The government is seeking to tighten the system even further. Schools Secretary Ed Balls said the situation was "unacceptable".The government is seeking to tighten the system even further. Schools Secretary Ed Balls said the situation was "unacceptable".
Amendments to the Education and Skills Bill, currently before parliament, will: Amendments to the Education and Skills Bill, currently before parliament, will:
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  • require local authorities to report annually on the legality and fairness of all schools admission arrangements in their areas
  • extend the power of the schools adjudicator to amend arrangements that come to his attention
  • make sure that parents and local communities are properly consulted about school admissions arrangements
Last month the government claimed "a significant minority" of schools in three areas were still breaking the admissions code which was tightened up last year.
  • require local authorities to report annually on the legality and fairness of all schools admission arrangements in their areas
  • extend the power of the schools adjudicator to amend arrangements that come to his attention
  • make sure that parents and local communities are properly consulted about school admissions arrangements
    • Last month the government claimed "a significant minority" of schools in three areas were still breaking the admissions code which was tightened up last year.
    Manchester, Northamptonshire and Barnet were chosen simply as being representative of a metropolitan authority, a shire county and a London borough - and were areas where there had not been objections to admissions policies.Manchester, Northamptonshire and Barnet were chosen simply as being representative of a metropolitan authority, a shire county and a London borough - and were areas where there had not been objections to admissions policies.
    "We have no reason to think that these areas are any different from any other authorities around the country," Mr Balls. "We have no reason to think that these areas are any different from any other authorities around the country," Mr Balls said.
    Majority complying At the time it declined to put a precise figure on the number involved, pending checks.
    The large majority of schools appeared to be complying. Now that the schools have been asked to explain themselves, the Department for Children, Schools and Families has published lists of those involved along with their breaches of the code.
    "However, a significant minority of schools in our sample appear not to be compliant with the code, of which a disproportionate number are voluntary aided or foundation schools." About a third failed to comply in more than one respect.
    The areas include 84 secondary schools and 486 primary schools. Of those, 119 are voluntary aided or foundation schools controlling their own admissions. 'Wrong'
    The schools were allegedly asking parents banned questions about their marital status, financial background or even in some cases asking for financial contributions to the school - though Manchester and Northampton denied any of their schools were asking for money. The schools were allegedly asking parents banned questions about their marital status, financial background or even in some cases asking for financial contributions.
    But there were claims the government was attempting to deflect attention from official statistics showing that about 100,000 children had not got their first choice secondary schools for this year. It was put to Mr Balls that he had made too much of these requests for money - that they involved only six, mostly Jewish, schools in Barnet and these were only about 1% of those checked.
    Mr Balls said one school would mean hundreds of parents affected, six schools meant thousands.
    "I think one child and one parent being deterred from applying to a school because of an unlawful charge is wrong," he said.
    "What we are highlighting here is thousands of parents being put in that position."
    He rejected the idea that the sort of middle class parents schools wanted to attract could afford the payments - which he said in one of the schools in Barnet were £995 per child per term.
    He knew parents wanted the best for their children and he was on their side, "but you can't have a two-tier system".
    To eradicate educational disadvantage it was "absolutely critical" that governing bodies, local authorities and the Schools Adjudicator enforce the code.
    "That's the law."