6th August 2014 16:00
By Blue Tutors
The government has introduced plans to encourage schools to prioritise places for the poorest children in their catchment area. The proposals would see the introduction of a new schools admissions code, which would allow children eligible for the pupil premium payment for disadvantaged students their first choice on school places. The plans are currently in consultation, and it is being suggested that schools will be able to give priority to admissions for children who are eligible for the pupil premium payment. This policy would bring state comprehensive in line with academies and free schools which already have the option to do this.
The scheme has so far proven to be controversial, particularly amongst wealthier parents who fear they may struggle as a result to find school places for their children. The proposal to expand the scheme to primary schools has also caused concern in the private sector. Critics have warned that parents who want to place their child with a child minder instead of in a local nursery may not feel that they have a choice if their child’s choice of primary school depends on them having attended the nursery.
The plans are designed to comply with the government’s social mobility agenda, and opens up the possibility for schools to create better opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Although the government has said that it is hoped that schools will take the opportunity to provide advantages for students who attract the pupil premium payment, the scheme is not obligatory. There are currently no plans to make it a legal requirement for schools to prioritise students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and that it was ultimately up to individual schools to decide whether they wanted to take part in the scheme. A similar policy is also in the works which would allow primary schools to prioritise students from low-income households who also attended their nursery facilities.