In between last minute travel insurance purchasing and filing forms to request a police certificate (policy bought, forms sent off) I’ve been trying to understand Conservative education spokesman Tim Yeo’s statement to the NUT conference yesterday.
Historically, British state schools have had ‘catchment areas’ and first priority for entry to those schools goes to those who live within that area. There are some exceptions to that, such as for church-aided schools which are allowed to set their own admissions policies. But in general that’s how it stands, and Tim Yeo is quite right to note that this system is open to abuse as parents buy their way in to areas with well regarded schools.
In Tunbridge Wells, where my parents live, there is currently a fuss as a local Church of England secondary school, which has always prioritised those pupils whose parents can get letters from their churches saying they attend regularly, has shifted its policy so that first preference goes to children whose parents hold a position of responsibility within their church. This has upset quite a number of people, as it fails to recognise the fact that for many people who are heavily involved in other areas of life, and who feel that their calling as Christians is to those involvements, it is all they can manage to attend their church and receive the support it may offer.
This is the latest cause of upset for many people who have long criticised that particular school as its admissions policy results in it taking in pupils from a very wide area, rather than serving the community it is within.
Tim Yeo has yet to give more details of his policies than to say that he wants to deregulate admissions policies so that schools aren’t tied to catchment areas. Chances are his party won’t be elected any time soon, but should they be, we can but hope that there will be safeguards alongside any policy of this sort to make sure that the best schools don’t quickly shift to elitist admissions policies which exclude many of their nearest neighbours, and result in a widening gap between the already successful schools, and those which are left to pick up the pieces.