The white paper The Importance of Teaching outlined the intention to simplify the School Admissions and School Admission Appeals Codes (‘the Codes’) so that it is easier for schools and parents to understand and act upon, while maintaining fairness as the guiding principle.

The Education Secretary, the Rt. Hon. Michael Gove MP, published the Departmental response to the consultation on changes to the Admissions Framework on 2 November 2011, alongside revised drafts of the Codes.  This followed a 12-week consultation on proposals to overhaul a system which is too often complex, confusing and unfair for parents. The consultation elicited 1,337 responses, 700 from parents who broadly welcomed the changes being made to the Codes.

On 1 December the Department laid the revised Codes before Parliament, as required under section 85 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.  Subject to the views of Parliament, these Codes will come into force on 1 February 2012, affecting the 2013/14 admissions intake. 

Copies of these Codes can be found below, so that schools and local authorities can take account of the technical changes that have been made since their publication on 2 November.

Key proposals include:

  • giving adopted children who were previously in care the same, highest priority for places as looked-after children;
  • introducing a ‘national offer day’ for primary places, mirroring that for secondary offers;
  • giving greater freedom to schools to increase the number of places they are able to offer to parents;
  • allowing schools to prioritise the children of staff employed there for two or more years, or who will meet a skills shortage;
  • allowing infant classes to exceed the statutory limit where the 31st child is a twin or from multiple births, or of armed forces personnel;
  • allowing academies to prioritise disadvantaged children who are eligible for the Pupil Premium; and
  • allowing schools to take direct applications from parents to help reduce delays in finding a school place once term starts.

All documents are available to download from the associated resources section of this page.

The Departmental response to the consultation on the changes to both the Admissions and Appeals regulations was published on 10 January 2012. The consultation was held between 10 November and 5 December 2011 and received 256 responses, which broadly agreed with the proposed changes that underpin the revised Admission and Appeals Codes. Copies of these regulations and the response are available to download from the associated resources section of this page. Subject to the Parliamentary process, the revised regulations will come into force on 1 February 2012.
 
This will primarily affect admissions arrangements being locally determined in respect of the pupil intake for the 2013/14 academic year and thereafter. However, for appeals lodged on or after 1 February 2012 these will be dealt with under the Appeals Regulations 2012 and the revised School Admission Appeals Code.