Crackdown curbs catchment-area cheats in scramble for best schools

Published on Tuesday 17 March 2009 21:04

THE number of pupils who are admitted to schools outside their catchment area has fallen after Scottish councils clamped down on abuse of the system.

Local authorities are taking a strict line with parents who use a temporary or even a relative's address to qualify for the school of their choice.

The practice has become such a problem that some councils are calling in lawyers.

Government statistics published yesterday showed that the proportion of successful requests was down from 85 per cent in 2006-7 to 82.3 per cent this year.

It also emerged that the number of placing requests decreased by 0.5 per cent from the previous year, to 28,498.

Requests from outside catchment areas for primary-one places represented 22.3 per cent of the primary-one pupil roll. For the first year at secondary, they made up 13.6 per cent of the roll.

East Renfrewshire threatened legal action against 20 people caught lying about where they lived last year. Each backed down and withdrew their request before legal action was taken.

A spokesman for East Renfrewshire Council said the authority had seen a drop since taking a tougher stance.

He said: "People are getting the message that if you want a place at a school in East Renfrewshire, you have to buy a house here."

A spokesman for the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) agreed.

He said: "Councils have been tightening up for many years because it is quite an emotive issue and parents have been more willing recently to bend or even break the rules.

"Also, authorities have been encouraged to be more effective so there are probably fewer spare places."

Parents can only request a place at a school outwith their catchment area if there are surplus places at the school.

Judith Gillespie, policy development manger of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council, said parents often had unrealistic expectations.

She said: "What parents have a right to is to express a choice. The real problem with placing requests is, often, parents misunderstand the system."

Labour MSP Ken Macintosh called for national guidance for local authorities on what he called a "stressful" process for parents and councils. He said: "The figures show wide regional variation, highlighting a system which creates huge levels of anxiety for parents and difficulties for local authorities, too.

"Rather than leave the burden entirely on the shoulders of local councils, the minister (Fiona Hyslop] should be looking to establish clearer national guidance on placing requests for pupils and parents."

Isabel Hutton, education spokeswoman for the Coalition of Scottish Local Authorities, said the figures showed more parents were choosing a local school. She said: "The statistics also show that in primary and secondary schools, most parents get the school they request.

"What's most important is that every parent is able to send their child to a good school. Reports show that most Scottish schools set a consistently high standard."