Lincolnshire council proposes increasing school choices from three to four
Parents could soon be able to list more choices when applying for a school place for their child.
Members of Lincolnshire County Council’s Children’s and Culture Scrutiny Committee heard that the authority is planning to increase the number of preferences that applicants can list for primary and secondary schools from three to four.
Councillors were told that the proposed change to the school admission service aims to reduce the likelihood of children being placed in schools far away from their home.
At a meeting on Friday, January 23, school admissions manager Jessica Hart said: “This change is designed to support realistic, local choices by enabling parents to include an additional nearby school.
“We reduce the likelihood of children being placed far from home when their preferred schools are full.
“In turn, this can ease pressure on school transport, resulting in lower associated costs for the council, along with improved parental satisfaction.
“Importantly, the fourth preference is optional. Families are able to utilise it if they feel it would be beneficial.
“Equally, if families believe it to be unnecessary, there is no mandatory requirement for a fourth school to be named.”
Councillors heard that the authority had carried out a public consultation on the plans.
Out of a total of 93 respondents, 54 per cent agreed with the proposal, while 32 per cent opposed and 14 per cent were unsure.
But Coun Jane Smith (Reform UK – Welton Rural) questioned the county council’s motive behind the proposal.
She said: “I really hope this is not just being implemented as a get-out clause so parents don’t get their first choice in schools.
“Can we be assured that the system won’t change – that the allocations will still be looked at fairly across the board?”
Emily Nicholls, admissions and education provision manager, replied: “It is discretionary for parents to use that additional preference, but it doesn’t change how any of the applications are processed.
“They’re still processed in line with the schools’ oversubscription criteria – in exactly the same way.
“So, whether you had four preferences or six preferences, the first, second and third will still have that same outcome.
“So it’s only those ones that aren’t successful in the first three that would actually need that fourth preference when that was needed.”
Coun Richard Cleaver (Independent – Stamford West) said that the proposed change made sense.
He said: “I fully support going to four choices. I don’t see why one more wouldn’t offer people more choice. It seems an obvious thing to me.
“I would comment, of course, that a lot of the policies only kick in if schools are oversubscribed and in a lot of cases they’re not.
“It’s not as difficult a situation as people like to imagine and I know that from my experience dealing with casework in my division.”
The executive councillor for children’s services is due to consider the proposal until February 27.