Parents lose out on appeal

PARENTS in Oldham have less chance of winning an appeal to get their children into the school of their choice than anywhere else in the North-West.

Only 7.5 per cent of appeals against the local education authority’s decision were successful at primary school level.

And 11 per cent of parents were successful at secondary school, according to new figures.

They are among the lowest in the country — with a successful appeal rate for England of 27.8 per cent primary and 32.6 per cent secondary.

A total of 221 primary appeals were made in the borough in 2007, with 187 going to a hearing and 14 cases decided in parents’ favour.

Of the 307 secondary school appeals, 236 went to a hearing and 26 were won.

Nationally, the proportion of appeals heard increased slightly, but the number of successful appeals fell.

Schools Minister Diana Johnson: “The vast majority of parents get their child into a school that they are happy with and it is very rare that schools do not follow their own admissions rules.

“We deliberately created the transparent admissions system that exists, opening it up to parents and making it fair, because we want parents choosing schools, not schools choosing parents.

“Previously parents were given a school and they could take it or leave it, with no right to appeal. This is no longer the case with parents being allowed to put forward a preference.”