Peers seek ‘fairer’ admissions policy

Liberal Democrat peers are trying to change the school admissions code of practice to give all children fair access to education.

Baroness Walmsley and Baroness Sharp want to amend the Education and Inspections Bill, which is in committee in the Lords this week, to state that it may require all admissions applications to be anonymous.

Under this system, schools would be able to set their own admissions criteria but local authorities would manage the admissions process, so schools would not be able to select children they could identify.

The move follows schools minister Jim Knight’s announcement that school admissions forums could pilot anonymous admissions procedures if they wished (Forums can pilot blind admissions, 1 June).