On 27 April 2006 the Commons Committee considering the Education and Inspection Bill was presented with a Skeleton Code on school admissions.

I attach this Code and assure you that we are anxious to have your feedback and views on the Code to inform our negotiations with DfES Officers and with Ministers.

You will know that the intention is that Governing Bodies and others will be required to ‘act in accordance’ with the new Admissions Code when it comes into place.  This is, therefore stronger than the existing duty to ‘have regard’ to the Code of Practice.

The attached Skeleton Code is described by the DfES as being ‘an illustrative document that shows how the new Code might be structured and the provisions and guidelines it could contain reflecting the new status conferred by the Bill’.  It is not a final draft version of the Code for consultation.

It is our understanding that there will be a consultation on a full draft of both the New School Admissions Code and a New School Admissions Appeals Code, under Section 84(1) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, in September 2006 with the intention of bringing the new Codes into force in February 2007 in time for determining admission arrangements for September 2008.

Oona Stannard