Applying for a school place outside the regular points of admission is much more complicated than applying for a place at the start of primary or secondary school when there is a pan-London system for all state schools.
For school admissions outside these entry points, parents and carers must follow different processes for different schools and local authorities which can involve lengthy delays, including referrals to Fair Access Protocols and the Secretary of State in the more challenging cases.
This can result in many children having to wait longer for a school place, missing out on education for months while due process is followed – which can have a detrimental impact on their attainment and wellbeing.
Local authority oversight and management of pupil movements would bring about a simpler system for parents and put in place checks and balances to support safeguarding and ensure that children are not missing education.
In-year admission applications have increased significantly in London in recent years. Across 27 London boroughs, over 75,000 in-year admissions were received from September 2021 to July 2022. This is a considerable cohort of children who have to apply through an unwieldy system, often facing unnecessary delays. The scale of pupil movement is comparable to the 85,000 children who were offered a place to start primary school in September 2023.
This report explores the cohorts of children seeking school places in-year, the challenges in the system, and the levers local authorities need to ensure that all children and young people in their area have fair and timely access to school places.
Read the report and recommendations here.
