Partially selective schools

[WP]

Are DAO's proposed criteria likely to be challenged?

We don't know. To judge by the past, Rickmansworth are very likely to face objections from neighbouring primary schools, and Parmiters and the Watford Grammars may also receive objections from Westfield, and possibly South Oxhey primaries. Queens and DAO have had fewer objections in the past, and Queens seems to have a strong case that it serves the local area. It all depends whether someone is upset enough about DAO to object. We won't know for 6 weeks, and if they do, the adjudicator's decision is unpredictable; we won't know the outcome until September.

[WP]

Clement Danes have a notice in this week's Watford Observer announcing their admissions criteria for Sep 2008 entry [...] It's not entirely clear whether they have removed the music criterion

Their admissions office confirms that they are retaining the music criterion, so it seems their criteria remain substantially unchanged.

[WP]

Parmiters have published notice in today's Watford Observer that they've determined their admission arrangements for 2008 entry. A call to their admissions office confirms that they've made only the same minor changes seen in the other schools.

[Guest]

I wonder whether the Herts partially selective schools have been informed these minor changes are enough to satisfy the demands of the new code or whether they are hoping to continue as normal and to deal with objections if they arise. How can the government leave schools and parents in such uncertainty? Current year 5 parents have alot to think about.

[WP]

I wonder whether the Herts partially selective schools have been informed these minor changes are enough to satisfy the demands of the new code or whether they are hoping to continue as normal and to deal with objections if they arise.

I don't see how it could be the former. The minor changes address mandatory parts of the Code, but the interpretation of the advisory parts has been delegated to the adjudicators. Given the vagueness of these portions of the code, you'd expect them to try to defend the most favourable interpretation.

How can the government leave schools and parents in such uncertainty? Current year 5 parents have alot to think about.

Indeed, and the uncertainty will likely remain until September.

[Guest]

I don't think September will bring a conclusion to the issue. Objections to the adjudicator can come any time after September. 4 years ago admissions criteria announced at the September/October open days were still uncertain and in fact some altered in April the following year.

[WP]

I don't think September will bring a conclusion to the issue. Objections to the adjudicator can come any time after September. 4 years ago admissions criteria announced at the September/October open days were still uncertain and in fact some altered in April the following year.

Objections are supposed to be filed within 6 weeks of publication of the criteria (which is happening around now). Adjudicators have accepted later objections, but they need a reason for the lateness, and late objections are less likely to be upheld. Last year there was a change to the arrangements of some Herts schools in November, but this was because they included criteria that had been ruled unlawful in judgements relating to other schools (not giving preference to looked-after children, I think it was). Otherwise, even well-founded objections tend to be rejected if they're very late. For example, see Haringey's objection objection last year to La Sainte Union's perverse conditionality rule. The objection was accepted late because notification was considered defective, and the adjudicator decided on 29 Sep that although the objection was valid, it would be too disruptive to grant it at that late date.

In 2003 the adjudicator ruled in July, but this was overturned on judicial appeal, requiring a second adjudication of the same objections, which was decided in Feb 2004. Of course a referral to judicial appeal is on the cards this year too (DAO, Parmiters and the Grammars have promised it if their sibling criteria are removed).

[hn]

Are you aware of any objections? When and where will this information be available to he public?

[WP]

In 2003 the adjudicator ruled in July, but this was overturned on judicial appeal, requiring a second adjudication of the same objections, which was decided in Feb 2004.

In gruesome detail:

• 10 July 2003 adjudication (Dr Philip Hunter):
  • several Herts schools: abolish music ability criterion
    DAO, Queens, WG, WB, Parmiters, Rickmansworth: reduce academic selection from 35% to 25%
  28 August 2003 in year variation (Dr Philip Hunter):
  • several Herts schools: replace music ability criterion with test of aptitude
  8 October 2003 application for judicial review (Mr Justice Collins):
  • WG, WB: quash reduction of academic selection (adjudicator failed to take all material considerations into account)
  23 February 2004 adjudication (Mr Andrew Collier):
  • DAO, Queens: leave proportion of academic selection at 35%
    WG, WB, Parmiters: reduce academic selection from 35% to 25% (schools should accept at least 10-15% on distance with no other qualification)
  29 March 2004 application for judicial review (Mr Justice Goldring):
  • WG, WB, Parmiters: refused (too late for a third adjudication)

What a mess. It seems that a large part of the problem is that adjudicators are not able to consider remedies that are not directly related to the objection under consideration.

Both the judges and adjudicator based their decisions on the assumption that a reduction in the selection proportion could be reversed by the school in the following year. But now the law has changed to require that the proportion selected is no more than the lowest selected since 1997.

[WP]

The Watford grammar schools have published notification of their admissions arrangements for 2008 in the local paper. The criteria for the girls school are online; the boys criteria will be the mirror image. As far as I can tell they are identical to the previous draft, i.e. only three minor changes from previous years.

Incidentally, it mentions that there were 682 applications for the current year's places. Thus the total number of applications has fallen by about 30 per year for the last three years, in line with national demographic trends. However applications for the boys school and Parmiters do not show this pattern.

Now we wait.