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New guide to school admissions

  • Published: Wednesday, 2 April 2008

Children, Schools and Families secretary Ed Balls has announced the publication of a step-by-step guide for parents to the school admission and appeals system.

"I want parents to choose schools not schools to choose parents"

Schools Secretary, Ed Balls

The guide, which will give straight forward advice on all aspects of choosing a school place and appealing against a school place decision, will be made available to all parents applying for a place from next year.

The announcement marks the first step in a major information campaign leading up to school application time in the autumn – particularly targeting low income or hard to reach parents.

Speaking at the press launch, Ed Balls said: “I want parents to choose schools not schools to choose parents. I am concerned there are some parents who ‘know the ropes’ about school admissions but some who do not know even where to start.

“It is vital that parents have a clear understanding of the system so they can get the best for their children – and that they understand their rights to appeal and what they can do if they have concerns about the legality of a school’s admission arrangements.”

Further information

Download the guide here.

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