Liverpool schools: The parents tackling admission policies

High-performing schools in south Liverpool are oversubscribed, the council says

"It's like the children are fighting with the system, where the system's telling our children that they are second-class citizens."

Ismail Saleh is among hundreds of parents in Liverpool who could appeal against their children's allocated secondary-school places because they failed to get any of their five choices.

He says his daughter is "angry and depressed" about potentially facing a two-hour round bus trip to a school outside her home in south Liverpool, which has the most popular schools in terms of preferences.

"My fear is racial discrimination - would she get home safe, would she get to school safe?"

Many other local youngsters also face long school journeys from this September because nearby Christian faith schools have been oversubscribed.

Ismail Saleh plans to appeal against his daughter's allocated place

Aurelie Maigrat is concerned that her son's admission in a school outside their area "with no one that he knows" could have a "massive impact" on him.

"Will he suffer discrimination as one of the few Muslim kids attending the school?" she said.

Dr Amina Elmi, from the Granby Somali Women's Group, has been lobbying for a change in schools admissions, saying: "This is an issue that has been ongoing for decades - it's never been addressed.

"If an admission policy stops people from a certain community - from a certain race or faith - from getting into the schools in their locale, then it's up to Liverpool City Council to tackle and change that."

However the authority says they do not have the power to amend admissions policies for certain schools, including academies and faith-based schools, but they will work to find out if Muslim youngsters are missing out more than others.

Aurelie Maigrat is concerned over whether her son will adjust to an unfamiliar setting

A recent council report reveals that the proportion of Liverpool children allocated their first preference fell this year, with 10% given places at a school that was not among their choices.

This meant that 519 students were offered places as a result of not being granted any of their preferences - compared to 435 in 2021 and 385 in 2020.

Councillor Tom Logan, cabinet member for schools, said the demand for places in south Liverpool was particularly intense.

"We've got really good, desirable, well-respected schools but lots of people find it difficult to get places at them.

"A number of schools have admissions criteria that limit the number of places which are open to everyone and then they offer them on a random basis, so it doesn't matter where you live."

Cllr Tom Logan says Liverpool needs more schools in the coming years

He said there was also "a cluster of schools with a religious element to their admissions policies so if you're not Catholic or from the Church of England or you don't want a faith-based education, you'll find it difficult to get a place as well".

"The appeals process would normally be used for anomalies" he said, "but this year we are expecting hundreds of parents to appeal."

In a report circulated to councillors, Cllr Logan said the council had "no silver bullet to fix the issue in secondary schools".

He has facilitated some advice sessions for parents who want to appeal although, given the demand for places, it is uncertain how many will succeed.

Dr Amina Elmi says there have been problems with school admissions for "decades"

The green light has been given for one new free school but Councillor Logan said Liverpool was in "such dire need" of more pupil places that more schools were required.

He added that about 400 places in Year 7 were needed across the city "over the next couple of years" as the local authority plans its schools' strategy and works with the government to see where places could be needed.

Jonathan Jones, director of education and skills at the council, added that some of the city's schools had a historic "reputation" that deter parents, despite good results.

But he said the council itself could not build a school to solve the admissions policy and that a free school or academy would have to be established by external trusts instead.

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