Today, a new, shorter version of the School Admissions and School Admission Appeals Codes comes into force in time for the September 2013 admissions round.

The codes make it easier for good schools to expand by removing the need to consult where schools who act as their own admissions authorities wish to increase their planned admission numbers and allow anyone to raise an objection with the schools adjudicator in a bid to increase local accountability.

The idea behind the new codes was to make them clearer, shorter and more straightforward. They are certainly a little shorter, but inevitably ambiguity and complexly remain. What the codes won’t do is reduce the number of appeals faced by schools and Academies. Oversubscribed academies could well be crippled with numerous and time-consuming questions from parents exercising their rights to appeal under the code.

This was the opportunity for the government to reconsider the point and amend the codes accordingly, an opportunity they missed.

Posted by Hayley Roberts, who specialises in education law advice to schools and academies, including advice on teaching schools, collaboration models and partnership structures, school companies, and a wide range of pastoral issues.

Hayley Roberts
0115 908 4862
hroberts@brownejacobson.com