School Appeals Procedure (Hansard, 22 March 1983)

§ 18. Mr. Greenway
asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether he proposes to introduce any changes in the school appeals procedure under the Education Act 1980 in the light of its first year of operation; and if he will make a statement.

§ Dr. Boyson
As my right hon. Friend said in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Brighouse and Spenborough (Mr. Waller) on 16 March, he considers that the school appeal procedure of the Act has, on the whole, worked reasonably well and to the benefit of parents. He has at present no plans for the Act's amendment.

§ Mr. Greenway
Will the appeal procedure cope with the huge demand for places at the new Church of England high school, the Twyford Church of England school in Ealing, which has become so much more popular than it was before it became a Church school? Is my hon. Friend aware of the huge pressure against the establishment of that Church school by the whole Labour party, led by the hon. Member for Bedwellty (Mr. Kinnock)?

§ Dr. Boyson
By chance, I have the figures for the applications to that school. It is amazing to note that when it was a maintained non-denominational school there were applications for only one in four places, but when, from last year, it became a Church of England school, there was a great increase in applications. This year there are more than one and a half applications for every place in that school.

§ Mr. Kinnock
Has the fact that Ealing borough has proposed the closure of two neighbouring comprehensive schools anything to do with the increased applications for Twyford?

§ Dr. Boyson
We can look into that matter. We shall do so. My constituency adjoins the constituency in which Twyford school is situated. That is one of the reasons why, by accident, I have the figures today. There has been a great demand for the Anglican denominational education at that school throughout the whole of north-west London, and it has the approval of parents and churches in the area.