New challenge over school admissions
3:02pm Friday 8th August 2008
A fresh challenge has been made against the admission policies at Skipton's top state schools.
Last month, the Office of the Schools Adjudicator supported the methods adopted by Skipton Girls' High School and Ermysted's Grammar School.
The independent adjudicator, John Simpson, acting on objections raised by a group of five parents, acknowledged work put in by the schools to correct previous criticisms.
He said some complaints were outside the control of the adjudicator, but did partly uphold an objection against a policy which could unfairly disadvantage one group of children and instructed the county council and the schools to act to correct it.
But Stephen Hanson, on behalf of the group of parents, said they had been surprised by the report and had now lodged an appeal.
"We were clearly surprised that, after two adjudicators' reports in 2006 and 2007 which identified unfair admissions, Mr John Simpson should then take a completely reverse position about Skipton's admissions.
"North Yorkshire County Council was identified in 2007 as the main cause of unfairness with particular regard to having undefined standard for entry into the county's grammar schools. The Skipton pass mark is consistently and significantly above Ripon's mark every year. In Mr Simpson's report, NYCC receive only a mild rebuke and the difference in standard is allowed to remain."
Mr Hanson claimed that it made the adjudicators' opinions inconsistent.
"While I accept parents may not always get an adjudicator's decision that they wish for, consistency in how an adjudicator considers any situation is of particular importance if parents are to understand and engage in the role of the schools adjudicator," he said.
Mr Hanson claimed that Mr Simpson had also ignored submissions made by the parents.
A spokesman for the Office of the Schools Adjudicator said: "The chief adjudicator is considering the concerns raised."
A spokesman for North Yorkshire County Council said: "North Yorkshire County Council considers it has received a full and clear report from the Office of the Schools Adjudicator concerning North Yorkshire's admission policies for selective education in the Skipton area.
"It understands there is a local appeal against the determination, but that is entirely a matter for the Office of the Schools Adjudicator nationally. It is not something on which the county council would wish to comment."