School’s sixth form policy is found to be unlawful
Maidstone Grammar School for Girls operated an unlawful admissions policy for prospective sixth-form pupils, the Local Government Ombudsman found.
The school in Buckland Road requires pupils to have six GCSEs at grade A* to C, including at least four B grades, and B grades in the subjects being taken at A-level.
But it was also found to be making offers to external students based on a more rigorous points-based system.
The watchdog began investigating after a complaint from a parent of a teenager refused a conditional offer on the basis of the unpublished criteria, despite meeting the school’s minimum requirements.
The inspector found MGGS wasn’t following its own admission policies and breached the statutory guidance which states schools must clearly set out how they will admit children.
The report states: “The school used an additional oversubscription criterion, not mentioned in the arrangements and had not been subject to consultation. Using an APS (points based system) to rank applicants based on academic ability contradicted the published oversubscription criteria, which apply to all external applicants with the minimum academic requirements, giving priority to looked after children, siblings, students with health issues and finally those living closest.”
They were also critical of how Kent County Council’s independent panel arbitrated the dis- pute and did not challenge the school’s policies. The school has agreed to drop the points-based system, apologise to the family and pay £250 in compensation.
The Ombudsman found the loss of a school place did not itself constitute an injustice but the confusion caused by the fault of the school and panel did.
Deborah Stanley, head teacher, said: “The Ombudsman specifically said the pupil’s grades were lower than predicted and he did not meet the subject requirements for his original A-level choices, or the revised choices put forward by his father.
“Even if the school had made a conditional offer, it would not have followed this with a firm one.”
But she said the school no longer includes the average points score in the admissions criteria and agreed with the Ombudsman’s recommendation of a £250 donation to the family for the confusion.