Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which local authorities in England are fulfilling their obligation to publish information on the admissions arrangements for all state schools in their area, including full admissions rules and details of the outcomes of the previous admissions round.

Local authorities are required to comply with the School Admissions Code, which sets out various requirements to ensure they provide information on local admission arrangements to parents.

This includes a requirement to publish a composite admissions prospectus for parents. This must include information on the admission arrangements for each state-funded school, the number of parental preferences expressed for the school the previous year, and information relating to how to apply for schools in that area. Local authorities must also produce an annual report on admissions for all the state-funded schools in their area, which is published on the authority’s website and sent to the Schools Adjudicator.

Whilst the department does not routinely assess whether the required information is made available, if a parent or other party is unhappy that information is not available they can complain to the local authority through their complaints process. If they remain dissatisfied after exhausting the complaints procedure, they can complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. Additionally, if my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, becomes aware of an issue she can, if necessary, use her powers to direct the local authority, where it is failing in its duty.