Pupils: Coronavirus

(asked on 3rd September 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they have made available to local authorities about pupils who were not a registered pupil at any school at the beginning of the lockdown put in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic.


Answered by
Baroness Berridge Portrait
Baroness Berridge
This question was answered on 17th September 2020

Parents can apply for a place at any school, at any time. The statutory School Admissions Code, which is binding on all admissions authorities, including academies, sets out the process for admission into school. Applying for a school place outside of the normal points of entry to school (such as reception or year 7), is known as an in-year admission. Parents can apply directly to the admissions authority of their preferred school as an in-year admission where local authorities do not co-ordinate in-year admissions. Local authorities, however, must provide parents with information about available school places in their area.

The department launched a consultation to revise the School Admissions Code on 26 June. Improving the in-year admissions process is the main focus of the proposed changes. The consultation will run until 16 October and is available to view here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/home-to-school-transport-and-admissions-team/changes-to-the-school-admissions-code/.

Local authorities have a duty to make arrangements to establish, as far as it is possible, the identities of children of compulsory school age in their area who are not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving suitable education otherwise than at a school. The ‘children missing education’ guidance sets out the key principles to enable local authorities implement their duty, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/children-missing-education.

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