Historic admissions policy question

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JRM
Posts: 301
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 7:32 pm

Historic admissions policy question

Post by JRM »

A bti of an odd one, but I thought I'd ask in case one of you old timers knew...

Has there ever been a differential qualifying score for children living outside of the catchment area for QEHS Gainsborough? I know they used to allocate places with preferential treatment to those in the travelling areas, but was it ever the case that someone who lived in Lincolnshire had to achieve a lower pass mark and someone living over the border in North Lincs had to score higher?

Several people have suggested this to me lately, and even thought that it was the same nowadays, so I am just wondering if there is any basis to this rumour?

Thanks.
The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.
Dr Seuss
Alex
Posts: 1097
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Re: Historic admissions policy question

Post by Alex »

How far back are you thinking about? Any policy which distinguished between applicants on the basis of county boundaries would have been illegal after the 1989 Greenwich judgement. I don't know how schools allocated places historically but Gainsborough QEHS has for many years been a Community School and so simply followed the Lincolnshire policy for all Community and Controlled secondary schools. There have been a number of changes over the years. The earliest one I can find is from 2003 which says :
a) The school parents say they prefer
b) Medical reasons why the school is most suitable (for example, wheelchair access).
c) Brother or sister going to the school at the time a place is needed.
d) In Church of England (voluntary controlled) schools, priority may be given to children whose parents are actual members of the Church of England....
e) Convenience of access, including
- distance of the child's home from the school;
- whether there is another school the child can go to which is as easy to get to;
- the route from the child's home to the school; and
- whether there is free transport from the chid's home to the school.
..........The governors and headteacher of the school are responsible for publishing how this policy applies in their school's particular circumstance. ......

So in the last bit is the thing you recalled about the transport - this did discriminate against cross border children and was scrapped somewhere around 2006 I think after a challenge by a Foundation School who had a lot of pupils from across the Notts border.

I am not aware of Community Schools ever using score as a criterion.

In strict terms QEHS does not have a "catchment" area - as catchment refers to a defined area in which children who are resident are given priority. QEHS nowadays uses driving distance from home to school so the area from which its pupils are drawn will vary from year to year.

One thing that strikes me about this old policy (apart from the bits which would now be illegal - such as the first preference criterion and the free transport bit) is just how vague and ill defined it is compared to nowadays.
JRM
Posts: 301
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 7:32 pm

Re: Historic admissions policy question

Post by JRM »

I am thinking less than 10 years. Thank you for your wisdom. I had found the bit about the Greenwich judgement and thought they must be confused about that, but it was suggested to me recently that a family were planning a move as if they lived in Lincolnshire the pass mark was slightly lower. I happily told them it was nonsense, but they were sure that it used to be like that 'a few years ago' and I just wanted to triple check I wasn't misleading them. I do find it a bit wierd that if you are going to make such a life changing decision that you wouldn't research into it properly yourself. Anyway, I shall relax that I at least haven't given them any incorrect information.

thank you :)
The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.
Dr Seuss
Alex
Posts: 1097
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Re: Historic admissions policy question

Post by Alex »

There are other Grammar Schools in Lincs where there is an inner area which gets higher priority e.g. Caistor Grammar. Effectively it usually means that people who live in that inner area can usually get a place with a minimum pass mark but people outside the area are competing on rank order. No account is taken of County boundaries but I guess all of the out of county candidates are also outside of the inner area. I am sure that Community schools have never used score as a criterion.

People do get confused though when there are so many different admissions policies - just as well you are there to put them right :D
JRM
Posts: 301
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 7:32 pm

Re: Historic admissions policy question

Post by JRM »

Alex wrote: - just as well you are there to put them right :D
Or to be an interfering busybody who should mind my own business!
The more that you read, the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.
Dr Seuss
Alex
Posts: 1097
Joined: Thu Nov 02, 2006 10:10 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Re: Historic admissions policy question

Post by Alex »

Carry on interfering, say I. Too many people get the whole school application business wrong and occasionally that can make for a difficult outcome.
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