Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how his Department monitors the requirement that schools must consult on their admissions arrangements at least once every seven years; and what information his Department collects on such consultations.

The School Admissions Code (the Code) places a statutory duty on school admission authorities to consult locally before making any changes to their admission arrangements. Where no changes are proposed, they must consult at least once every seven years to ensure that the admission arrangements continue to meet local needs.

The Department does not collect information on the consultation process of individual admission authorities.

Admission authorities are responsible for ensuring that they comply with the requirements of the Code, including those around consultation.

Anyone who believes that an admission authority has not complied with the Code, may make an objection to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator. The decision reached by the Schools Adjudicator is binding and enforceable by the Secretary of State.