Uproar over new admissions policy
L12-081 Barnfield West Academy, Leagrave High Street, Luton official opening by Lord Hill, Parliamentary under secretary of state for schools. Sally-anne Stewart JR 4 20.1.12 Pete Birkett
THE NEW admissions policy at Barnfield West Academy has caused uproar among parents and the National Union of Teachers.
They claim it will mean many children, particularly from the Lewsey area, will no longer be guaranteed a place.
One father, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “The present system is that any child in the catchment area – which affects pupils at Ferrars, Chantry, Southfield and St Martins – gets to go to BWA.
“However Barnfield Federation has now taken over Moorfields, Mill Vale and St Georges in Leighton Buzzard and the proposal is that children from these primary schools will be first on the admissions list, followed by siblings and children of staff.
“To compound matters, a four-band admissions test is being introduced which will make securing a place even more difficult.”
NUT Luton secretary Dave Mingay accused Barnfield Federation chief executive Pete Birkett of ‘empire building.’
He said: “The model of an ‘all-through’ education system is nothing new.
“And I do not see the need for an admissions test, regardless of its purpose.
“The best way to improve standards is to work with other local schools through a democratic local education authority – not creating private competition.” A Barnfield spokeswoman said: “We plan to extend the priority admissions area to cover a footprint of 80 per cent of families surrounding our academies.
“When children join a feeder school within the Federation, they’ll have a guaranteed place at one of our academies.
“The intention from 2013 is for all students to sit an assessment. The results will fall into four ability bands and from these an equal number will be selected from each band to make up the Year 7 intake.”
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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