The Accord Coalition has welcomed the decision by Ashley Church of England Primary School in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, to overturn its proposal to admit children of local worshippers ahead of children with a sibling already at the school. Ashley School triggered alarm among local families when it put forward its plans in December, which were drawn in such a way that meant some children could have been less likely to get a place for already having a sibling at the school.
In a letter to parents in January explaining the plans, the school’s Chair of Governors wrote ‘the number of sibling applicants has been rising sharply – despite the changes we have introduced to the policy since 2013-14 – and this has meant that an increasing number of Church applicants have been unable to get a place at the School for their first child.’ The school is regularly oversubscribed and rated as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted.
Accord joined a large number of parents in responding to the school’s consultation. It urged that the school find room for siblings of existing pupils and that it move away from selecting pupils by faith altogether. Accord recommended taking inspiration of the St Mary’s Hampton Church of England primary school, which opened in 2013 in a neighbouring parish and does not select any pupils on religious grounds.
Ashley School has now announced its future admissions policy. While the school will continue to select pupils by faith, it has opted for a policy that will ensure children with a sibling at the school are admitted first.
Chair of the Accord Coalition, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, said ‘Ashley School’s proposals highlight a key question about what a state funded faith school is for – to cater for a limited constituency or to serve the local community. It is regrettable that the school has decided to carry on dividing different families by faith. However, we welcome that it has decided to uphold its commitment to the family unit and rewritten it rules so that children from the same family are more likely to be educated together, rather than less.’
Last summer Kentish Town Church of England Primary School in Camden decided to change its admissions policy so that children with a sibling at the school are favoured over children admitted on faith grounds after nine children with a sibling at the school missed out on a place. Accord attended a meeting in July 2013 about the school’s admission policy convened by the Office of the School Adjudicator. The school’s latest admission policy now makes the school more inclusive, with half of its remaining places being given to local children without recourse to faith once siblings of existing pupils have been admitted.
