§ Mr. HobanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many local education authorities have made it a condition of supporting a school"s bid for specialist status that the school does not exercise its right to select pupils by aptitude. [144847]
§ Mr. Miliband[holding answer 18 December 2003]: No local education authorities (LEA) have informed the Department for Education and Skills that a condition of the authority"s support for a school"s bid for specialist status is that the school does not select pupils by aptitude. The LEA is the admission authority for many specialist schools and may decide that it would not choose to admit by aptitude.
§ Mr. HobanTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many specialist schools have exercised their right to select pupils by aptitude. [144848]
§ Mr. Miliband[holding answer 18 December 2003]: On the basis of the latest collated information, 40 specialist schools have chosen to select pupils by aptitude.