§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on secondary transfer in Barnet, with reference to children whose birthdays fall close to 31 August. [173927]
§ Mr. Stephen TwiggI am aware that in Barnet some parents are encountering problems in transferring their child to secondary school because the child has been educated below its chronological year group. My officials have written to the Local Education Authority to ask it to work with its schools to broker a solution. We understand that an established Working Party, set up by the Admissions Forum, has agreed to look into the issue, and to consider strategies for dealing with the current situation.
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Bid A—Rugeley reorganisation Schools included Type of school Location of school Purpose Amount of bid Successful (yes or no) Chancel Infants Community All Rugeley To rationalise the schools, provide additional early years places, community and special Education need (SEN) facilities and remove 520 surplus places. 3,531,000 Yes Churchfield C of E (C) Voluntary controlled Junior Flaxley Primary Community Hob Hill C of E/Methodist Voluntary controlled Primary Nursery Fields Primary Community Pear Tree Community Community Primary Ravenhill Primary Community Western Springs Primary Community All admission authorities have a duty to consider applications for places at their schools in accordance with their published admission arrangements. Where places are sought for children who are out of their normal year groups, the School Admissions Code of Practice advises admission authorities to consider such requests fully and to make decisions on the basis of the circumstances of each case, even if it is not their general practice to educate children out of year group.