Schools 'flouting admission laws'

Official complaints over admissions suggest some families are still falling victim to unfair discrimination by schools and councils, according to the Government.

Schools minister Jim Knight said he was "very concerned" that headteachers were breaking the legally-binding admissions code, introduced a year ago to stamp out so-called "covert" selection.

The new code bans schools from interviewing children or parents, or asking for extra information designed to weed out pupils from poorer homes who may be more difficult to teach.

Speaking as new rules on admission appeals came into force, Mr Knight said: "The vast majority of schools have adhered to the mandatory school admissions code.

"Hundreds of thousands of children have a fair chance of getting into a school of their choice.

"But I am very concerned that formal complaints and other anecdotal evidence suggest that some local authorities and schools are not complying with the law.

"No ifs or buts - there is absolutely no excuse not to comply with the law to stamp out unfair and covert admission practices, which penalise low-income families and increase social segregation.

"It is unacceptable that children may be missing out on school places because unlawful arrangements are in place almost 12 months on from the code becoming statutory."

The independent Office of the Schools Adjudicator, which regulates the admission system, has investigated objections against 79 schools in the last year, where their admission practices have breached legislation.