Sue Robb of 4Children talks to Julie Laughton and Alison Britton from the Department for Education about the role of childminders in delivering the 30 hours free entitlement.
Council to review school place allocation
An investigation from the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has led to Bolton Council checking if any children missed out on their preferred school amid an admissions process complaint.
The investigation found that Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council changed the way it decided schools admissions mid-way through the application process, without consulting people.
The main criterion when determining school places is distance from the chosen school, and, where there is a tie for a single place it is decided by the distance of the alternate school.
The LGO discovered that midway through the round of allocations in December 2014, for school starts in September 2015, the council decided to simply draw lots to determine the places.
Dr Jane Martin, of the LGO, said: “When making changes to policies which affect a wide number of people it is only right and fair that such changes are made with consultation and at the start of the process so that parents have a level playing field when applying for school places.
“I have taken the unusual step of issuing this report where the individual parent has not suffered an injustice, to highlight that other parents in the area may have been affected by the incorrect application of the allocation process.
“I am pleased that Bolton council has accepted my recommendations, and would urge other councils to ensure that they do not make the same mistakes.”
The Ombudsman has confirmed that is satisfied that the arrangements for the 2016-17 allocations have been properly determined.
Latest News
18/04/2024 - 10:19
Pensioners in five Scottish local authorities will be the first to be eligible for a new disability benefit (subject to parliamentary approval of r
18/04/2024 - 09:41
Residents and visitors to Brecon in Wales recently took part in the world's first full-town digital deposit return scheme.
17/04/2024 - 11:58
Applications have opened for a £1.3 million competition to 'transform the transport sector, grow the economy and inspire innovation'.
17/04/2024 - 10:38
The first of Nottingham City Transport’s new electric buses entered service last week (11 April).
16/04/2024 - 10:40
The Scottish Government has announced that more than £9 million will be made available over the next three years to support social care.
Company Focus
Just Lanyards is a subsidiary name of Gifts 2 Impress Limited, who have been trading for over 25 years, we therefore pride ourselves in having endless experience covering all aspects of the promotional merchandise industry.
Event Diary
UKREiiF has quickly become a must-attend in the industry calendar for Government departments and local authorities.
The multi-award-winning UK Construction Week (UKCW), is the UK’s biggest trade event for the built environment that connects the whole supply chain to be the catalyst for growth and positive change in the industry.
Supplier Profiles
At GeoEnergy Design, we're on a mission to disrupt the traditional way heating and cooling ha
Latest Features
Professor Harith Alani, director of the Knowledge Management Institute at the Open University explains how AI can be used for good and bad.
Alex Lawrence, head of health & social care, techUK sets out techUK’s Five Point Plan for CareTech.
