County council objections to the admissions policy at Rochford Primary and Nursery School have been upheld by the Office of the Schools Adjudicator.
Essex County Council had objected to a lack of priority for children in care, too high a priority for youngsters in the nursery who wanted to go on to the primary school and a lack of a tie-breaker to decide between similar applications if the school was over subscribed.
Adjudicator Anthony Webster said being a nursery pupil at the school in Ashingdon Road, Rochford, should be a lower priority than the proximity of the family home.
He also concluded the distance children lived from the school should be the decisive factor when considering applications of similar merit.
He added: "In coming to a conclusion, I have to recognise a conflict between two desirable factors.
"The first, promoted by the school, is the value of continuity from nursery to primary.
"The second, promoted by the LEA, is the need to be fair both to those parents who move into the area and to those parents who choose, as is their right, an alternative pattern of early child care and education.
"Whilst I recognise that parents might hope that their children might progress from the nursery to the reception class, I have noted earlier that the admissions criteria for the nursery are unambiguous in not guaranteeing a place in the primary school for nursery children."
The objections related to the policy for September next year.
The school was not available for comment.
Published Wednesday August 11, 2004
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article