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Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats:Covering the constituencies of Twickenham and Richmond Park |
Linked schools policy: scrap and use ‘home to school distance’ instead?
September 24, 2011 11:10 AM
• [Sep 21] THE borough's Admissions Forum considered a written report outlining the history and workings of the linked schools policy (LSP). The Forum noted the following points:
- The LSP makes parents whose children attend linked primary schools feel that places at the linked secondary are theirs by right, which often makes it difficult for them to accept subsequent refusal and allocated places at the academies.
- Many children attending linked primary schools were unable to get into Orleans Park and Teddington due to oversubscription of the 'link' criterion, therefore the original purpose of the LSP - of ensuring progression for children from local primary schools to local community secondary schools - was no longer being wholly fulfilled.
- Modelling of how the 2011 intakes would have looked had the LSP not been in place indicated that fewer out-borough children would have obtained places at the three mixed community secondary schools - albeit that parents may have made different preferences, or ranked them differently, and some parents whose children did not attend linked primary schools and who therefore hadn't applied might have done so had 'distance' been the main criterion.
- A member of the Forum expressed concerns that, if the LSP were to be removed, admissions to Teddington might change considerably due to Ham and central Kingston residents possibly being able to get in.
- Another member of the Forum remarked that the socioeconomic/demographic make-up of Teddington's intake could become less diverse than at present if the LSP were abolished; although it was felt that the current academies' intakes could, conversely, become more diverse.
- Five of the six Catholic primary schools in the borough do not have links.
- Children ought to stand a realistic chance of being admitted to their closest mixed community school.
- Using 'distance' as the principal criterion would be more straightforward and easier for parents to understand.
- It is arguable that basing children's chances of admission on preferences made by the parents of previous cohorts is unfair.
- All three mixed community schools (and Christ's and Waldegrave) were consulting on converting to academy status and would, if they became academies, be able to set their own admissions arrangements for 2014/2015 onwards.
- Whether the LSP were to be in place or not, there would be 'winners' and losers' and not all parents could be satisfied until all local schools were 'good' or 'outstanding'.
The Forum therefore reached consensus to recommend to the Council that it should consult upon removing the LSP for 2013/2014 entry to Grey Court, Orleans Park and Teddington, and instead use 'home to school distance' as the main criterion for allocating places. It was felt that consultation should be widespread and involve public meetings and an online survey, as appropriate
• From the minutes of the Richmond upon Thames Admissions Forum, Sep 21 2011
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