Choice denied by ‘haphazard’ schools system
School leaders raise admissions concern
A “HAPHAZARD approach” to admissions is denying families a real choice over where their children go to school, according to school leaders.
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said that the lack of a clear system for awarding places means that parents have to hope they “get lucky”.
It is calling for the Government to create a national strategy to guarantee that there are enough school places for England’s schoolchildren.
The call comes on deadline day for families in England to submit applications for primary school places, for children starting this September.
Under the current system, parents list up to six preferences on an application form, which is submitted to the local council.
But there are concerns in some quarters that while local authorities are responsible for ensuring there are enough state school places in their area, many of their previous powers to create new schools and direct those not under their control to expand have been curtailed.
Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of NAHT, said: “Deadschool line day can be an anxious time for families. Choosing the right primary school and securing a place can feel like a shot in the dark for parents.
“The reality is that until we have a co-ordinated approach to place planning, parents will still have to hope they get lucky.
“Local authorities are responsible for ensuring sufficient places, but their powers and resources were removed in 2011 and not replaced with an alternative.
“Instead we have decisions being made in isolation and new schools and new school places are not always being commissioned in the areas they are most needed.
“This haphazard approach the Government favours is denying parents and families a true choice over where to send their children to school.”
He cited official government pupil projection figures which estimate that the secondary school population will be 418,000 higher in 2027 than in 2018 – a 14.7 per cent increase in pupil numbers.
“There is a desperate need for long-term planning that spans all sectors and until the Government creates a national strategy to guarantee there are enough school places for every child in England, choice for parents will continue to be a bit of an illusion,” Mr Whiteman said.
England’s school system has been put under pressure in recent years due to a rise in the school-age population.
This has been fuelled by a rise in the birth rate in the early 2000s that has now made its way through primary schools and is moving into secondaries.