Choice, diversity and fair access
84. Another duty laid upon local authorities is that
they should "promote choice, diversity and fair access as
well as high standards".[74]
The implication is that these duties are complementary and all
lead in the same direction, but that is not necessarily the case.
An authority could fulfil its duty to give parents choice by maintaining
a number of community schools but without promoting diversity
by encouraging the establishment of faith schools or academies.
Pupils in these community schools may well have high standards
of achievement. Must the authority then promote other schools
in the name of diversity and possibly risk the standards already
achieved? And how does fair access fit into this? Which takes
priority? Given the Government's commitment to raising standards
for the most disadvantaged children, fair access is likely to
be the priority for many authorities, but will that be satisfactory
to the Government? More guidance on what this duty means is needed
to ensure that authorities know precisely where they stand.
85. We are firmly of the opinion that fair access
should take top priority, followed by choice and diversity respectively.
There is growing concern and a body of evidence about the relationship
between school admissions and levels of social segregation and
schools need to show that they are aware of their responsibilities
to their communities in general as well as to the children whom
they admit. We propose that a new duty be placed on all schools
to promote social inclusion and community cohesion through all
of their institutional policies and procedures, including their
admissions policies.
86. We have already discussed the emphasis placed
by many submissions to our enquiry, both oral and written, on
the need for schools, whether or not they have Trust status, to
spread good practice across their locality. But it is particularly
important given the controversy that has emerged about Trust schools,
that Government should give reassurance and set in place mechanisms
to effect this. We recommend that Trust schools should be
given the duty to spread good practice and demonstrate collaboration
across the local authority area, and that their performance in
this regard should be monitored by local authorities, who would
report to the Schools Commissioner to produce an annual report
to Parliament and to DfES.
87. We have also heard concerns that children with
special educational needs should not be excluded from their rightful
entitlements as a result of proposals made in the White Paper.
This is particularly the case in respect of personalised learning
and admission policies where there have been concerns that academies
have not always been willing or able to operate effective or equitable
admission policies in respect of children with special educational
needs. We believe again that local authorities—and possibly
the School Commissioner—have a key role in protecting the
interests of parents and their children with special education
needs. We recommend therefore that Trust schools and others
be given the duty to operate equitable admission policies for
children with special educational needs across the local authority
area, and that the performance of schools in this regard should
be monitored by local authorities, who would report to the Schools
Commissioner to produce an annual report to Parliament and to
DfES.
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