Balls condemns schools’ ‘cash for places’
An “alarming” number of state schools are flouting government admissions rules designed to ensure a fair admissions procedure, ministers have confirmed.
Children’s secretary Ed Balls said a “disproportionate” number of schools have denied places to children whose parents refuse to make a financial contribution to the school before submitting an application.
The schools admissions code, which was introduced by the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and came into force in February 2007, prohibits schools from basing their admissions policies on academic ability or social class, as well as the marital status of the child’s parents.
It was also designed to prevent covert means of ascertaining these details – which have been found to be linked to higher achievement – for example interviewing prospective parents and imposing expensive uniform codes.
But an internal survey undertaken in three representative local authorities – Northamptonshire, Manchester and Barnet – found schools were contravening the code by “asking parents to commit to making financial contributions as a condition of admission”.
Requesting a donation from applicants’ parents is “totally unacceptable”, Mr Balls said.
Local authorities will now be required to submit annual reports on admissions policies in the areas in a bid to end continuing unfair practice.
“The large majority of schools appear to be complying with the code, including an overwhelming majority of academies and schools where local authorities are the admission authority,” Mr Balls explained.
He continued: “However, a significant minority of schools in our sample appear not to be compliant with the code, of which a disproportionate number are voluntary aided or foundation schools.”
Faith schools can legally ask parents for a voluntary financial contribution towards their children’s education but are not permitted to base admission policies on said contribution.
The survey found further contraventions of the code including parents being questioned about “marital status, occupational or financial status”, interviewing children and failing to give admissions priority to looked-after children.
Opposition politicians said the row over admissions detracted from the wider issue of a lack of good school places.
Shadow schools minister Nick Gibb said all schools should abide by the admissions code but the “real issue” for Mr Balls was the one in five children denied a place at their first-choice school.
He claimed there were simply too few good schools and argued parents should be given the legal power to take their child out of a school they think is failing.
The Liberal Democrats said the “huge” variations seen in local areas meant it was inevitable good schools would be oversubscribed.
Lib Dem schools spokesman David Laws said the key to ending the annual “scramble” for places is to raise standards in under-performing schools so there are no schools that parents do not want to send their children to.
But he condemned the continued manipulation of admissions by some schools.
Mr Laws called on ministers to remove the “backdoor power of selection” wielded by foundation and specialist schools, both widely trumpeted by the Labour government.
