Greenwich Judgement

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starmum2000
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 7:53 pm

Greenwich Judgement

Post by starmum2000 »

Muggle wrote:It is actually unlawful for a local authority to discriminate in favour of its own residents in allocating school places. A legal ruling in 1989, known as the 'Greenwich Judgement' (yes - Greenwich parents went to the Law Courts to gain legal access to Bexley schools and it became legally binding for the whole country!) , established the right of parents to apply to any school they want regardless of local authority boundaries and be treated on equal terms with the 'locals'. It has always been a very controversial motion and there have been many attempts to overturn it.

Muggle, I'm curious about the legal ruling - I know this is the case in Bexley, but locals do get preference elsewhere - Dartford Grammar offer to those parishes within Dartford first, then to OOC, this doesn't seem to follow??
mitasol
Posts: 2756
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:59 am

Re: RESULTS!!!!

Post by mitasol »

This is a legal ruling and applies everywhere.
Greenwich Judgement (1989)
This judgement established that maintained schools may not give priority to children for the sole reason that they live within the LA’s administrative boundaries.

Rotherham Judgement (1997)
This established that admission authorities may operate specified catchment areas as part of their oversubscription criteria provided that, in doing so, they are not in breach of the Greenwich judgement.
So there are methods like catchment areas which can be used, so long as it does not contravene the Greenwich Judgement.
Starmum wrote: Dartford Grammar offer to those parishes within Dartford first, then to OOC
I think Dartford manages to remain within the admission code, as the criteria before parishes, is a one mile radius around the school - which I believe includes Bexley. This does seem to be a token offering as the area in question is described as - not particularly residential and not likely to yield many places.

The adjudication from 2009 can be found here
starmum2000
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 7:53 pm

Re: RESULTS!!!!

Post by starmum2000 »

DGS over-subscription criteria:
1. Looked After Children: Boys under the age of 18 years for whom the Local Authority (LA) provides
accommodation by agreement with their parents / carers (Section 22 of the Children’s Act 1989) or
who is subject of a care order under Part IV of the Act.
2. Zone A: Boys living in the following Dartford Electoral Wards [Brent, Bean and Darenth, Castle,
Heath, Joyce Green, Joydens Wood, Littlebrook, Newtown, Princes, Stone, Sutton-at-Hone and
Hawley, Town, West Hill, Wilmington.]

3. All other applicants regardless of address.

So all this 'Zone A' business surely is giving preference to those living in Dartford & surrounding areas??
How come Dartford can do it & Bexley can't??
Just curious how some seem to be able to get away with this criteria & others don't.
mitasol
Posts: 2756
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:59 am

Re: RESULTS!!!!

Post by mitasol »

Sorry Starmum - I was mixing up Dartford GS and referring to Dartford Girls.

If you feel that DGS is in breach of the code then you are entitled to take it to the adjudicator or YPLA if an academy.

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adm ... egulations" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (see schools admissions code 2010)
http://www.education.gov.uk/schoolsadju ... rangements" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

All LA's & schools must abide by the rules but law is always a matter of interpretation. A good map usually helps. :)
Muggle
Posts: 441
Joined: Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:24 pm

Re: RESULTS!!!!

Post by Muggle »

Hi Starmum,

I can't really add much to what Mitasol has already discussed. Except to say that it's DGSG that recently changed admission criteria to include the 1 mile radius (which covers a token, tiny part of Bexley), followed by named Kent Parishes.

I wish that school admissions could have more consistency, it would be much fairer. Many in Bexley feel unfairly treated, as Bexley seems to welcome in all OOB's on an equal basis to its own residents, whilst some neighbouring Kent schools make it difficult for Bexley residents to go there. It is a volatile topic.

Bexley is changing the 11+ system for Sept 2013 entry, it will be interesting to see if they address this problem.

I know Tracy was involved in discussions with DGSG and Bexley Council last year on this matter, so may be able to shed more light on the matter.
Tracy
Posts: 1123
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:28 am
Location: Bexley

Re: RESULTS!!!!

Post by Tracy »

Yes I was involved and was quite shocked at how blatantly Kent tried to stop girls from the border area from getting a place. I tried to get that token mile, or whatever it is, enlarged a bit as most of this area is industrial units and doesn't exactly benefit many. Yet the school managed to get the catchment area to go out 9 miles to the east. The adjudicator did say at the meeting that the Greenwich judgement had been superceeded and didn't stand any more.
There's a whole thread on this somewhere, I think that the admissions were tinkered with again the following year.
This was the girls school, not the boys so can't comment there.
mitasol
Posts: 2756
Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:59 am

Re: Greenwich Judgement

Post by mitasol »

I've split this topic and added Muggle's original piece to the first post - for continuity.
starmum2000
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Jun 29, 2011 7:53 pm

Re: Greenwich Judgement

Post by starmum2000 »

Thanks Mitasol, I did think it was a separate topic but wouldn't know how to split it!
I don't feel in the need to make a complaint or anything, I was just curious that some appear to be able to discriminate on locality, and others don't.
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