School admissions proposals to address disadvantages faced by children of armed forces families
Proposed changes to the admission criteria for community and voluntary controlled schools, to give priority to armed forces families and to help with staff retention, are set to be discussed by councillors this week.
The county council, as admission authority, determines the admission criteria that is used to prioritise pupils for places at community primary and secondary schools.
The new Armed Forces Covenant Duty, introduced in November 2022, places a legal responsibility on certain organisations to have due regard to the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant, when exercising certain statutory functions in the fields of healthcare, education and housing.
In Lancashire, there is already policy and practice in place to support families who move into the area outside the school admission round. Discretionary admissions are secured at community schools for pupils close to their new family home, even when schools are full.
The county council is now proposing to consult on changes to the admission criteria for community and voluntary controlled schools, to give priority to those children who are eligible to receive Service pupil premium (SPP), when considering applications for the Reception and Year 7 intakes.
In addition, it is known that, within Lancashire, a growing number of admission authorities now include children of staff as a priority category. Representations have been received from several primary and secondary head teachers asking for children of staff at their schools to be given priority within the oversubscription criteria, due to their concern over staff recruitment and retention.
Many neighbouring local authorities have already taken this step, and the proposed consultation will proposed this change to the public.
County Councillor Jayne Rear, cabinet member for Education and Skills, said: "Since the Covenant Duty came into effect, our officers have been considering how school admissions arrangements can be developed to enhance the support available for Armed Forces families.
"These proposed changes to the admissions criteria will address any disadvantages that can arise for service children, such as an interrupted education, a disrupted social experience, impact on mental well-being and delays relating to support for service children with additional needs.
"We are also proposing to take action to give greater priority within the oversubscription criteria to the children of school staff, in line with other neighbouring local authorities.
"Allowing children of staff to be educated where their parents work will improve staff retention and recruitment, creating a more stable education for our children."
If approved, the consultation is expected to begin on 10 November 2023 and will run until 22 December 2023.
The results of the consultation will then be considered by the cabinet early next year and if approved, will apply to the admission criteria in September 2025.