Oral Answers to Questions

Graeme Morrice Excerpts

Monday 16th June 2014 Commons Chamber

[Matthew Hancock]

Holding schools and colleges to account for their exam results is important, but it is equally important to be clear about where young people end up. That, I hope, will give schools an incentive to provide a broader education, emphasising knowledge, skills and behaviour, so that school leavers will be able to do what everyone wants them to do, and fulfil their potential.

[Graeme Morrice (Livingston) (Lab)]

11. What steps he is taking to ensure that admissions processes in free schools and academies are fair.

[The Secretary of State for Education (Michael Gove)]

Free schools and academies must comply with the school admissions code. The criteria that are used to decide the allocation of school places must be “fair, clear and objective”. Anyone who considers that a school’s admission arrangements do not comply with the code can make an objection to the schools adjudicator.

[Graeme Morrice]

What steps will the Secretary of State take to strengthen the code and the role of the adjudicator, as proposed by Labour?

[Michael Gove]

The adjudicator is already capable of making binding determinations, and has already been clear about the schools—whether they are academies, free schools or other schools—that have not subscribed to the requirements for fair admissions. Let me add, in relation to the broader question of admissions in general, that it is this coalition Government who have ensured that schools can give preference to students from poorer backgrounds through the pupil premium, and have used the admissions code to advance social justice, which the last Government signally failed to do.