This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/7276884.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Parents told school place results | Parents told school place results |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| Hundreds of thousands of families in England are being told where their children will be going to secondary school in September. | Hundreds of thousands of families in England are being told where their children will be going to secondary school in September. |
| Early reports claim that an increasing proportion have failed to get a place at their first preference school. | Early reports claim that an increasing proportion have failed to get a place at their first preference school. |
| Schools Minister Jim Knight has told disappointed parents that they can appeal against the decision. | Schools Minister Jim Knight has told disappointed parents that they can appeal against the decision. |
| But head teachers are warning this is a drain on schools' time and may be "raising false expectations". | But head teachers are warning this is a drain on schools' time and may be "raising false expectations". |
| The parents of more than half a million children across England have been receiving letters giving details of whether they have been successful in getting their first preference school. | The parents of more than half a million children across England have been receiving letters giving details of whether they have been successful in getting their first preference school. |
| ASK THE MINISTER Send in your questions for Schools Minister Jim KnightHow to appeal | ASK THE MINISTER Send in your questions for Schools Minister Jim KnightHow to appeal |
| Early indications from polls carried out by newspapers, using samples of local authorities, suggest that more families have been turned down from their first choices than last year. | Early indications from polls carried out by newspapers, using samples of local authorities, suggest that more families have been turned down from their first choices than last year. |
| Last year, an estimated 100,000 families did not get their first option. There were very wide local variations - in some inner-city areas only about half of parents achieved their first choice, while elsewhere almost every family was successful. | Last year, an estimated 100,000 families did not get their first option. There were very wide local variations - in some inner-city areas only about half of parents achieved their first choice, while elsewhere almost every family was successful. |
| But the Department for Children, Schools and Families says these were unconfirmed figures - and that official results will be published next week. | But the Department for Children, Schools and Families says these were unconfirmed figures - and that official results will be published next week. |
| In Brighton, where a tie-break lottery system has been introduced, an independent school has announced it is introducing extra classes to accommodate demand from disappointed parents. | In Brighton, where a tie-break lottery system has been introduced, an independent school has announced it is introducing extra classes to accommodate demand from disappointed parents. |
| "What the lottery has done is to prompt parents to do something that they may not have done before: visit an independent school," said Richard Cairns, head of Brighton College. | "What the lottery has done is to prompt parents to do something that they may not have done before: visit an independent school," said Richard Cairns, head of Brighton College. |
| 'Disappointed' | 'Disappointed' |
| Head teachers' leader John Dunford has warned that the higher-profile admissions system is creating unrealistic expectations of choice among parents. | Head teachers' leader John Dunford has warned that the higher-profile admissions system is creating unrealistic expectations of choice among parents. |
| And he criticised comments from the schools minister, that disappointed parents should use the appeals process. | And he criticised comments from the schools minister, that disappointed parents should use the appeals process. |
| HAVE YOUR SAYMy daughter didn't get into the school we chose despite it being the closestSimon, London Send us your comments | |
| "It will be extremely unfortunate if parents respond to the minister's call to appeal," said Dr Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders. | "It will be extremely unfortunate if parents respond to the minister's call to appeal," said Dr Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders. |
| "Not only will the vast majority be disappointed by the end of the process, a vast amount of bureaucracy will have been created and heads wasted hundreds of hours." | "Not only will the vast majority be disappointed by the end of the process, a vast amount of bureaucracy will have been created and heads wasted hundreds of hours." |
| Mr Dunford also said that the creation of a nation-wide admissions day had "raised the stakes" - with more parents now expecting to be able to make a choice in schools and more likely to feel let down. | Mr Dunford also said that the creation of a nation-wide admissions day had "raised the stakes" - with more parents now expecting to be able to make a choice in schools and more likely to feel let down. |
| A spokesman for Mr Knight said that the minister was spelling out the existing position - "that if parents think they have a strong case, they have a right to appeal". | A spokesman for Mr Knight said that the minister was spelling out the existing position - "that if parents think they have a strong case, they have a right to appeal". |
| And he said the bigger picture was that a large majority of parents were successful in getting their first preference schools - and that the number of low-achieving schools was diminishing. | And he said the bigger picture was that a large majority of parents were successful in getting their first preference schools - and that the number of low-achieving schools was diminishing. |
| "But there will always be schools which are oversubscribed - and there will have to be a limit to how many pupils a popular school can accept," he said. | "But there will always be schools which are oversubscribed - and there will have to be a limit to how many pupils a popular school can accept," he said. |
| The ATL teachers' union criticised the way that the school admissions system appeared to provide school choice, when this was not really on offer. | The ATL teachers' union criticised the way that the school admissions system appeared to provide school choice, when this was not really on offer. |
| "The vocabulary of choice is a fantasy and creates totally false expectations. | "The vocabulary of choice is a fantasy and creates totally false expectations. |
| "It would be fairer to everyone to end this myth and let schools get on with providing the best education they can for all their pupils," said Martin Johnson, the union's acting deputy general secretary. | "It would be fairer to everyone to end this myth and let schools get on with providing the best education they can for all their pupils," said Martin Johnson, the union's acting deputy general secretary. |