Michael Connarty
Labour Member of UK Parliament - Linlithgow and East Falkirk Constituency
Protecting Good Schooling for Children of Military Families
Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that military families are not disadvantaged by the schools admission code. [74055]
Mr Gibb: We are determined that those who serve in the armed forces, and their families, should not be disadvantaged when they seek to secure a school place for their children. That is why we consulted upon reforms to the admissions code that would allow admission authorities to include the children of service families as an exception to the infant class size regulations. We have also changed the code to require local authorities and admission authorities to treat a service family as resident in their area as soon as proof of posting has been provided. In addition, we intend to remove the requirement that local authorities manage the processing of in-year applications, which would capture many service families. Instead, these families will be supported through information and paperwork by the local authority to enable them to apply directly to the schools in their area. This should mean a faster outcome for those parents in finding a place for their child than at present.
Subject to the parliamentary process, we expect the new admissions and appeals codes to come into force in February 2012 and to take full effect on applications for the September 2013 intake onwards.
RSS Feeds
Now you can stay in touch with important news from Labour, by subscribing to our RSS feeds.