School Admissions Code Changes.pdf

Launch Date: 22 July 2014
Response Deadline: 29 September 2014
Department: Department for Education
Consultation Topic: Changes to the School Admissions Code

Proposed Changes:

1. Priority for Disadvantaged Children: Allow admission authorities to give priority to children eligible for pupil premium or service premium funding.
2. Primary School Admissions: Enable admission authorities of primary schools to give priority to disadvantaged children who attend a nursery that is part of the school.
3. Minor Changes:
Revise the timetable for admission arrangements.
Clarify provisions relating to the admission of summer-born children.
* Make clear that the highest priority for admission applies to all children who have been adopted from local authority care.

Aims:

1. Improve Fairness: Improve the fair and open allocation of places in maintained schools and academies.
2. Support Social Mobility: Allow admission authorities to give priority to disadvantaged children.
3. Provide Greater Freedom: Give schools the freedom to support the least advantaged in society.

Technical Changes:

1. Minor Technical Drafting Changes: Improve the clarity of existing provisions.
2. Retain Prohibition: Retain the prohibition on requesting and considering information about a parent's financial or occupational status, with exceptions for children attracting pupil and service premiums.