Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will amend the School Admissions Code to allow schools to take into account the length of time a child has been on a waiting list in instances when that length of time has been longer than one year and that child matches that school's admissions criteria.
Answered by David Laws
The Department for Education currently has no plans to amend the School Admissions Code in this respect.
It is government policy that all school places must be allocated in accordance with each school's oversubscription criteria. Such criteria are determined following consultation with the local community and reflect local needs.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons the Schools Admissions Code precludes admissions authorities from taking into account how long a child has been on the waiting list for a school place.
Answered by David Laws
The School Admissions Code requires that all school places, including those offered to pupils on a school’s waiting list, are allocated strictly in accordance with a school’s published admissions criteria. This ensures fairness and transparency in the process and means that those applying for admission to a school understand from the outset their likelihood of gaining a place. It also means that there is no incentive for those who do not closely match a school’s admissions criteria, to remain on a waiting list while occupying a place at an alternative school.