Government extends guidance for prioritised school admissions to all adopted children
13 May 2014The Department for Education has released new non-statutory guidance on the current School Admissions Codes in relation to priority admissions for children adopted from local authority care in England and Wales.
The government have announced that with immediate effect all children adopted from care should be given the highest priority to school admission. Although non-statutory, admission authorities should take note of the Government’s expectation that all admissions authorities will apply this wider interpretation.
Previously, policy on admissions introduced in 2012 restricted priority to children adopted from care under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (implemented on 30 December 2005). However, in practice, some admission authorities elected to grant highest priority to all children adopted from care – not just those adopted from care under the 2002 Act.
In light of this, Ministers felt a review was necessary and that a better and fairer interpretation is that the Code requires priority school admissions to be given to all children adopted from care who are of school age, and not just those adopted from care under the 2002 Act.
The wider interpretation will apply to those children adopted from care prior to 30 December 2005; it means the change will mainly impact on secondary school admissions.
For the revised guidance from the Department for Education on School admissions of children adopted from local authority care follow the link below: