11th March 2008
CES responds to the Government statement ‘Strengthening the School Admissions System’
The Catholic Education Service (CES) remains confident that the admissions arrangements of the vast majority of Catholic schools comply with the School Admissions Code and are fair and transparent. We agree with the Government in saying that school admissions procedures must be fair and transparent in all aspects.
We appreciate that the Government needs to monitor and keep under review the implementation of the Admissions Code and the CES has always said and continues to say that it will not defend non-compliance. Both the CES and diocesan officers are very keen to support Catholic schools so that they do get it right in all cases.
Today’s statement is based, as the Government openly acknowledges, on unverified data relating to admissions arrangements, which suggests that there are some shortcomings across all types of schools in relation to the application of the Code. It is unfortunate that the admissions arrangements being alluded to by Government had not been thoroughly looked into before issuing such a potentially misleading statement. We urge Government and others not to jump to premature conclusions based on a rudimentary look at a small sample of unverified admissions arrangements.
Whilst we acknowledge that there are some Catholic schools amongst this group, the Government statement must be read with caution as we are aware from our day-to-day activities that school websites, for instance, frequently show admissions arrangements that are not fully up-to-date. We think that there may be, for example, a simple need for better housekeeping in some cases to ensure that a school’s website displays up-to-date admissions arrangements.
Schools are coping with very many initiatives and there may be areas where they need more help to both understand and interpret the precise requirements of the Admissions Code. Each Catholic school must ensure that local diocesan officers have received copies of their school’s admissions arrangements so that the diocese can best support and guide the school in ensuring that those arrangements are compliant with the Code at all times.
The CES will continue to work closely with Government to help ensure the proper application of the Code and the continued rights of the governing bodies of voluntary-aided schools as the admissions authorities, supported by the duty to consult diocesan authorities.
We support the Government’s intention to ensure that parents are properly informed about the admissions system and the Government’s plan to publish guidance. We are keen to assist in the production of this guidance so that all parents have access to information that is easily understood and readily available, including for voluntary-aided schools and that, as the Government has said, ‘no parent or child will be disadvantaged by unfair admission arrangements.’
ENDS
Oona Stannard
Chief Executive and Director
Catholic Education Service for England and Wales
For more information please contact Laura McCann, Policy and Briefing Officer t: 0207 901 4854 e: lmccann@cesew.org.uk w. www.cesew.org.uk.
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