§ Lord Lucasasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are content with the rules relating to the admission of children of services families to maintained schools in England when the parents return to England from duty abroad; and, in particular, whether they are content with the requirement that the family should have been back in England for six weeks before places can be reserved for their children. [HL5916]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills (Baroness Ashton of Upholland)There are no rules about admission to maintained schools that relate specifically to service families. Nor is there a requirement for service families to be back in England for six weeks before places can be reserved for their children.
All parents have the right to express a preference for the school they wish their child to attend. But service families, in common with all parents who apply for school places outside the normal time of admission, may find it difficult to obtain places in their preferred schools, as popular schools will already have filled all their places.
Admission authorities are not allowed to reserve places for blocks of children from service families but may allocate places to such children in advance of their families return to the UK if the Ministry of Defence can supply details of where the family will be living. The statutory Code of Practice on School Admissions, currently being revised following the new Education Act 2002, also advises local education authorities and school admission authorities to ensure that the needs of service families are taken into account.