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10.22 pm
Mr. Peter Thurnham (Bolton, North-East): I congratulate the hon. Member for Chorley (Mr. Dover) on his success in securing the Adjournment debate and on raising this subject. I also thank him for allowing me to contribute to the debate. The Lancashire education authority has priority for places at Turton school in my constituency. That popular school is over-subscribed. I am concerned about the Bolton education authority's policy of not giving priority to sibling links. It is a grossly anti-family policy, and it causes considerable distress.
This week, I wrote to Mr. Jackson of the Bolton education authority about one particular case. I said:
"I understand that Robert is very distressed at not being able to go to the same school as his sister and his friends, after attending Eagley Junior school in Bromley Cross all his life. I
26 Jun 1996 : Column 444
- believe Robert's GP has written to advise you of the stressful effect this is having on Robert, and I fully support any request that Robert be reconsidered for Turton."
10.23 pm
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education and Employment (Mrs. Cheryl Gillan): I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Dover) for raising his concerns, and I shall do my best to respond to him and to the concerns raised, rightly, by my right hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble (Mr. Atkins) and my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East (Mr. Thurnham). I know from the amount of correspondence that I receive from my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley that he takes a close interest in education matters, on which he works tirelessly on behalf of his constituents.
We have of course come a long way since 1979, when parents had no right to specify their preferred choice of school. Schools could be half empty, but parents still might not have been offered a place for their child, and they had no right to appeal against the decision on where their child was to be educated.
The Government gave parents the right to express a preference for a school. We required admission authorities to satisfy that preference unless the pupil did not meet the religious or selective entry requirements. We later introduced legislation that required schools to admit up to their standard number or any higher admission limit that was set. Admission authorities could no longer keep spare places at popular schools to safeguard less popular ones. If a school had spare places, eligible pupils had to be admitted.
Not only did we strengthen the initial admissions process for parents, but we strengthened their right of appeal. All appeal committees must now contain a lay member, and representatives of the admission authority cannot be in the majority. Parents now have more confidence that their appeals will be heard by an independent and impartial panel that will carefully weigh up the needs of the child against the implications for the school.
Parents now have more rights, more information, and access to a wider choice of different schools under a Conservative Government than ever before. The Government have tried to remove the artificial barriers which, in the past, have all too often stood in the way of parental choice. Evidence suggests that some 90 per cent. of first-choice applications are successful, but my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley has voiced his concerns about the admission arrangements in place in Lancashire, and especially the problems that his constituents have faced in getting their children into a school of their choice.
It is never easy when popular schools are over-subscribed, as I know has been the case for a number of schools in Chorley. The Government firmly believe
that responsibility for admissions rightly lies with admission authorities, and that admission arrangements should be determined at local level. Admission authorities are able to respond directly to the wishes and needs of parents and pupils.
That said, we expect admission authorities--the local education authority in the case of county and controlled schools, and the governing body in the case of voluntary-aided and grant-maintained schools--to determine arrangements that are clearly and accurately described, so that parents can judge the chances of gaining a place for their child at the school before expressing their preference. I hope that my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley will pass on to his education authority the requirement for arrangements to be expressed clearly.
Lancashire local education authority is responsible for determining the admission arrangements for its schools, following an annual consultation with the governors of schools. During that consultation, the governors, if they wish, can propose changes to the school's arrangements for admission. Such proposals may include a change to the over-subscription criteria, or may suggest an increase in the school's admission number for that year.
My hon. Friend the Member for Chorley is right to highlight the problems that can arise when admission authorities change admission arrangements without adequate consultation or notification. He will wish to know that yesterday my Department issued a revised circular on admissions that provides up-to-date guidance on admissions, and explains the basic principles that the Government consider important in the management of school admissions, including local determination, diversity, clarity, consultation and co-ordination. But it is for the authority to finalise arrangements, after taking into account any views put forward by governors, and to set out the admissions policy, giving the number of places available at the school and the criteria to be used in the case of over-subscription.
In the case of county and controlled schools, Lancashire LEA gives priority to first-preference applications. In cases of over-subscription, the authority considers first those applications with sibling links, then those with medical, social or welfare reasons, and finally the admission authority allocates the remaining places with reference to the distances between the home and the parents' first-preference school and between the home and the nearest alternative school at which a place is available.
Lancashire LEA must allocate places in accordance with the published arrangements for its schools. It is, of course, unfortunate that, when a school is over-subscribed--as was the case with Parklands High school--some parents may not receive a place, as the school can be filled with pupils with higher priority for places.
I have looked into the situation that has arisen in Lancashire. It seems that the authority received more than 270 first-preference and an additional 260 second-preference applications for 206 places at Parklands High. Southlands High was also over-subscribed, with 169 first and 127 second-preference applications for only 187 places. A voluntary-aided school, St Michael's--with which my hon. Friend will be familiar--was also over-subscribed with applications.
I understand from the authority that a number of parents in the Eccleston area in particular who expressed a first preference for Parklands were not offered a place, as they live closer to another school, Bishop Rawstorne CE school. In applying its admission criteria, the authority was unable to give them priority for the available places. However, those parents were allocated places at the school of their second choice.
I am also aware of the difficulties that some parents who live in the north-east of Chorley have faced in obtaining a place at Parklands. Again, that appears to be because they live closer to another school, Albany, which still has places available. I understand that the authority is in discussion with those parents about alternative places for their children.
There is also a question over the number of pupils that Parklands can accommodate. The governors of the school can, of course, place a formal request with the authority to publish a higher admission limit. If the authority refuses to comply with that request, it is open to the governors to make an application to the Secretary of State for an increase in the school's standard number.
I hear my hon. Friend's plea to ensure that parents receive at least one of their three preferences. In the allocations to Chorley schools this year, only 4.5 per cent. of parents--including those who applied from outside the area--have not received a place at a school for which they expressed a preference. Of those, nine parents live in the Chorley area. Unfortunately, it is never possible to guarantee places where many more parents have expressed a preference for a school than there are places available.
When parents are unsuccessful in gaining a place, they may wish to exercise their right to appeal to independent appeal committees. Appeal committees offer parents an important second chance, and they must consider any appeal in light of the evidence available and on the merits of the case before them.
I turn now to the case of Mrs. Finney, to which my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, North-East referred. I understand that Mrs. Finney's son, Robert Rogerson, was unable to get into the school she chose--Turton school. I ask my hon. Friend to ask Mrs. Finney whether she wishes to approach the LEA to place Robert Rogerson on the waiting list for Turton school. I understand, and sympathise with, his constituent's problem.
About 40 per cent. of appeals are successful. I believe that, through that route, several parents have been successful in gaining places at schools for which they expressed a preference. Although I stress that I appreciate the deep disappointment that parents feel when they are unsuccessful in gaining a place at a school of their choice, the number of such parents remains small. However, it is a significant issue for the parents concerned.
But the Government have shown that they are committed to extending parental choice by the steps that they have taken, which have ensured that as many parents as possible receive their first choice of school for their children. Indeed, I was glad to receive the warm welcome from my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley for the White Paper that was published yesterday, which is another step forward and another plan in an excellent education policy that will provide choice for parents--more choice, and choice where there is none.
Finally, I shall take up the points raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley and my right hon. Friend the Member for South Ribble, who expressed concern. My right hon. Friend often speaks out on behalf of his constituents, and I understand his heartfelt plea about the way in which the LEA is managed. I hope that I can throw a little light on the problems that my right hon. and hon. Friends mentioned.
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