Ombudsman rules against Herschel Grammar

[orion]

Here is the link:

http://www.sloughobserver.co.uk/articles/1/7519

Hopefully this will help some parents who have been worrying about having placed more than one consortium school on their CAF form.

The decision means that:

1. You can place as many consortium schools as you choose on your child's CAF form

2. You can select the school that you want most as opposed to a strategic choice, where you are not confident that the child will secure the requisite qualification mark

[WP]

Here is the link:

http://www.sloughobserver.co.uk/articles/1/7519

Hopefully this will help some parents who have been worrying about having placed more than one consortium school on their CAF form.

That is good news. Surely all three schools will now have to change their procedures to conform.

The fact that this was the local government ombudsman presumably means that the appeal, which was managed by the school, rejected these grounds.

It's interesting that Herschel lost this even though their admission policy for the last year read:

3. Where the number of pupils gaining 111 or more in the tests exceeds the number of places available, places will be allocated (subject to paragraph 4) according to the following criteria:
(i) school preference as indicated on the 11+ Registration Form and Common Application Form.
(ii) rank order of performance in the admission tests.

which was contrary to the Admissions Code, but at least they followed it. This year they've deleted criterion (i), and so have even less excuse for using preferences.

[Drastic Dad]

Good one. I am amazed at the degree of IGNORANCE on part of parents who push their children to pass eleven plus and then let schools run all over their little ones' dreams. Disgusting, to say the least. You are putting your child into all this hassle and can't even defend his/her rights! Its a crying shame. I was told the other day that my child wouldn't get an offer from Tiffin even if he passed it as Tiffin is OUR 2nd choice. Well, if Tiffin is HIS 1st choice and he passes his test and qualifies for that school and wants to go there then just watch me go out all guns blazing. To he11 with the CAF, if a child qualifies for a school by proving his abilities in the test, he gets a place, period.

[WP]

I was told the other day that my child wouldn't get an offer from Tiffin even if he passed it as Tiffin is OUR 2nd choice. Well, if Tiffin is HIS 1st choice and he passes his test and qualifies for that school and wants to go there then just watch me go out all guns blazing. To **** with the CAF, if a child qualifies for a school by proving his abilities in the test, he gets a place, period.

I fear that you were informed correctly -- the substance of this ruling is that the CAF preferences are everything.

[Drastic Dad]

I was told the other day that my child wouldn't get an offer from Tiffin even if he passed it as Tiffin is OUR 2nd choice. Well, if Tiffin is HIS 1st choice and he passes his test and qualifies for that school and wants to go there then just watch me go out all guns blazing. To **** with the CAF, if a child qualifies for a school by proving his abilities in the test, he gets a place, period.

I fear that you were informed correctly -- the substance of this ruling is that the CAF preferences are everything.

But here is the mandatory guideline published by the government:

Prohibition of unfair oversubscription criteria
2.13 In setting oversubscription criteria the admission authorities for all maintained
schools must not:
a) stipulate any conditions that affect the priority given to an application such
as taking account of other preferences for schools. For example, by saying
that priority will be given if all or some other preferences are for a school
with particular characteristics (e.g. other schools are of a particular religious
denomination). This includes criteria often described as ‘conditionality’;
b) give priority to children according to the order of other schools named as preferences by their parents, including ‘first preference first’ arrangements;
c) give priority to children according to their parents’ willingness to give
practical support to the ethos of the school or to support the school
financially or in some other way;

Mark section 2.13b of the code above from http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/sacode/

[orion]

Drastic Dad, I'm not sure but my take on the wording would be as follows:

the admissions authority, where a school is oversubscribed can not

give priority to a child because the child has selected the school in question higher in their list of CAF preferences even where the school insist that you place them first.

In your case if by chance you have not placed Tiffin first, but second, then your first choice would have to reject you son for Tiffin to come into play. As I say this is merely my reading of this.

[WP]

But here is the mandatory guideline published by the government:

Prohibition of unfair oversubscription criteria
2.13 In setting oversubscription criteria the admission authorities for all maintained
schools must not:
a) stipulate any conditions that affect the priority given to an application such
as taking account of other preferences for schools. For example, by saying
that priority will be given if all or some other preferences are for a school
with particular characteristics (e.g. other schools are of a particular religious
denomination). This includes criteria often described as ‘conditionality’;
b) give priority to children according to the order of other schools named as preferences by their parents, including ‘first preference first’ arrangements;
c) give priority to children according to their parents’ willingness to give
practical support to the ethos of the school or to support the school
financially or in some other way;

Mark section 2.13b of the code above from http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/sacode/

Tiffin doesn't give priority based on preferences; they don't know them. If your son scored highly, they will inform your home LEA that they can offer your son a place. But if your first-choice school also offers a place, your LEA will implement your expressed preferences by telling Tiffin that you do not require the place and to allocate it to someone else. That will happen invisibly before March 1st.

[Drastic Dad]

But here is the mandatory guideline published by the government:

Prohibition of unfair oversubscription criteria
2.13 In setting oversubscription criteria the admission authorities for all maintained
schools must not:
a) stipulate any conditions that affect the priority given to an application such
as taking account of other preferences for schools. For example, by saying
that priority will be given if all or some other preferences are for a school
with particular characteristics (e.g. other schools are of a particular religious
denomination). This includes criteria often described as ‘conditionality’;
b) give priority to children according to the order of other schools named as preferences by their parents, including ‘first preference first’ arrangements;
c) give priority to children according to their parents’ willingness to give
practical support to the ethos of the school or to support the school
financially or in some other way;

Mark section 2.13b of the code above from http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/sacode/

Tiffin doesn't give priority based on preferences; they don't know them. If your son scored highly, they will inform your home LEA that they can offer your son a place. But if your first-choice school also offers a place, your LEA will implement your expressed preferences by telling Tiffin that you do not require the place and to allocate it to someone else. That will happen invisibly before March 1st.

It means I will have to take on my LEA on this one then. I will send them an email right away not to go that way as I am not totally uninterested in Tiffin and if my child scores good marks, qualifies for a place, wants Tiffin then he goes to Tiffin. The lady at my LEA (Hounslow) is very, very co-operative and answers emails within hours. I will clarify the situation tomorrow, quoting the above governmental guideline.

[mitasol]

Equal Preference Model
Parents put their preferences on the CAF in rank order. All
preferences listed by parents on the CAF are considered
using the over-subscription criteria for each school
regardless of where they are ranked. Where a pupil can be
offered a place at more than one school on the CAF, the
offer will be to the highest ranked school.

The Code States:
(This is the revised code which comes in Feb 2009)

Complying with Parental Preferences
1.37 Parents have a right to express a preference for a place in any maintained school, City Technology College or Academy. The statutory duty under section 86 of the SSFA 1998 to comply with parental preferences is not affected by co-ordinated admission arrangements. Where more than one place could be offered under the co-ordination scheme, the duty to comply applies to the single offer that is to be made in accordance with the arrangements in the scheme, and not any other possible offers.

[ummh74]

Hi,

At Tiffin's Open Evening, the head said that in order to be offered a place at his school you had to pass , of course, but also you had to put Tiffin at first on your CAF (it is also written on the website!)
I am a bit worried as we put Tiffin second on our CAF and yesterday my son said that he found the exam easy so if he scores high and provided he fails his first choice does it mean that he will not be offered a place?

Can anyone please clarify?
Thanks.