Poorer parents less likely to get first choice secondary school in England, thinktank says

School admissions appeals and waiting lists in England are reinforcing the gap between rich and poor in education, according to a study from the Education Policy Institute (EPI).

The thinktank’s research found families in the most affluent areas were twice as likely to secure their child a place at their first choice of secondary school on appeal as those in the poorest.

Children from some ethnic minority backgrounds are also less likely to get into their preferred schools using the system of appeals and waiting lists. Ten per cent of black pupils and 12% of Asian pupils get their first choice via these routes, compared with 21% of white British pupils and 17% of Chinese pupils.

The study is the first detailed analysis of the school appeals system, through which families who do not get their first choice of secondary school can challenge the decision.

Researchers studied newly released data from the Department for Education (DfE) on school preferences and concluded that the appeals and waiting lists system “increases social segregation”.

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The EPI executive chair, David Laws, called on the government to review the increasingly complex school admissions system, paying particular attention to appeals. “The appeals and waiting list system should be giving poorer children a fair chance of getting into the best schools – but this research shows that it is failing to deliver equal access,” he said.

Thousands of parents in England appeal or use waiting lists each year in order to access their preferred school, with competition particularly intense for sought-after schools with high Ofsted ratings.

Of the 545,000 secondary school offers made in 2016-17, 84% (459,000) were first choice. Of the remaining 86,000 offers that were not first choices, about one in seven (13,000) were successfully appealed against or waiting lists were used to get into the preferred school.

However, the research shows that the likelihood of getting into a first choice school through the appeals and waiting lists system varies depending on family background, ethnicity and previous attainment.

Disadvantaged pupils eligible for additional pupil premium funding are more likely to miss out on their first choice using these routes compared with non-pupil premium students (13% as opposed to 18%), as are children with low attainment at the end of primary school compared with high-attaining children (15% compared with 23%).

The report author and senior EPI researcher, Emily Hunt, said: “If you are a family from the very poorest neighbourhood, then your odds of securing your top choice of school by appealing or using waiting lists is half that of a family from the most affluent neighbourhood. This is particularly concerning as parents use these routes to access schools with higher Ofsted ratings, and these schools also have socially advantaged intakes.

“It is clear from our research that the current appeals and waiting lists system is not consistent with the government’s aim of an education system that prioritises the most disadvantaged. The government should deliver on its recent promise to review the schools admissions system, or risk damaging social mobility.”

Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “What this report shows us is that there is often a scramble going on for places in schools which are rated as ‘good’ and ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, and that children from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to lose out to more affluent families who can afford to live in areas near these schools.

“We are not convinced that an overhaul of the admissions system will deal with the root cause of this issue. We need to secure sustainable improvement in struggling schools so that all children have access to good local provision.”

A DfE spokesperson said 93.8% of families in 2018 received an offer of a place at one of their top three preferred secondary schools. “Every parent or carer who has been refused a place at a school has the right to appeal. We have provided guidance for parents to help them understand the process and have made clear to appeals panels they must ensure the process is consistent, with all parties being treated fairly.”

The shadow education secretary, Angela Rayner, said: “The Tories have broken their promises to parents on school admissions, and it is the most disadvantaged children who are losing out as a result of this failure.”