Commenting on new research published by the Sutton Trust
including polling of parents and teachers on their views on
school admissions, Dr Mary
Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the
National Education Union, said:
“To ensure the same educational and training opportunities
are available to all there needs to be a level playing field.
Social segregation has lasting effects, letting down pupils and
communities alike – often deep into adult life. School admission
policies must be fair and decided at a local authority
level.
“A decade of Conservative governments has led to a school
system which is atomised, fractured and confusing. It is no
wonder there has been a decline in teachers’ and senior leaders’
general understanding of the local and national picture. The
legacy of academisation is not one of school improvement but of
competition, leading to a marked imbalance during the admissions
process.
“This disconnect is what leads to many schools with low
numbers of disadvantaged pupils performing significantly better
in league tables than their neighbours. The blind eye given to
high exclusion rates in academies and free schools also needs
addressing. Off-rolling has become commonplace, targeting
specific groups of students at a far higher rate – predominantly
those with behavioural, emotional and social needs, as our
research with EPI shows. (1)
“If the Government is serious about supporting the
potential of all young people, then the sea-change must start
with them. Returning powers to local authorities to open new
community schools would be a start and is an idea popular with
parents and staff. This welcome report shows there is clear
support for a review of admission policy, which again would be
overseen most effectively by local authorities. Through this
approach a level of coherence and fairness can be restored to
local provision.”
Editor’s Note
(1) Unexplained
pupil exits from schools: A growing problem?,
Education Policy Institute, 18 April
2019: https://epi.org.uk/publications-and-research/unexplained-pupil-exits/
