ADJUDICATOR PUBLISHES ADMISSION VARIATION FOR FERNHILL SCHOOL, HAMPSHIRE

ADJUDICATOR PUBLISHES ADMISSION VARIATION FOR FERNHILL SCHOOL, HAMPSHIRE

London, 2 September/GNN/ --

OFFICE OF THE SCHOOLS ADJUDICATOR News Release (73) issued by the Government
News Network on 2 September 2005
The Office of the Schools Adjudicator published a decision today on a
variation to the admission arrangements of Fernhill School, Hampshire.

Hampshire County Council applied to the adjudicator to increase the admission
number of Fernhill School for September 2006, from 174 to 182.

The adjudicator, Ms June Brown, rejected the application to increase the
admission number. Legislation permits an adjudicator to consider an application
to vary admission arrangements under limited circumstances - namely, that a
major change in circumstance has occurred since the admission arrangements
were determined. Ms Brown was not of the view that this pre-requisite could
reasonably be said to have been met in this case. She was therefore unable
to consider the application and the admission number for Fernhill School
should remain at 174 for September 2006.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Schools adjudicators are independent of the Government. They decide on school
organisation issues and admission arrangements which cannot be resolved
locally. They were appointed under the School Standards and Framework Act
1998. Their role is to look afresh at all cases referred to them, considering
each case on its merits and taking account of the reasons for disagreement
at local level in the light of the legislation and the guidance in the Code
of Practice on Schools Admissions.

Copies of the determination reached by the adjudicator can be obtained from
the Office of the Schools Adjudicator. It can also be found on the Schools
Adjudicator Website - www.schoolsadjudicator.gov.uk. Individual adjudicators
are not in a position to comment on their decisions but, if clarification
of those decisions is needed, enquiries can be addressed to: The Office of
the Schools Adjudicator, Mowden Hall, Staindrop Road, Darlington DL3 9BG

Issued on behalf of the Office of the Schools Adjudicator by GNN South
East. For more information please contact Angela Upex. TEL: 0191 202 3604;
e-mail: angela.upex@gnn.gsi.gov.uk

Mowden Hall
Staindrop Road
Darlington DL3 7PJ
T 0870 0012468
F 01325 391313
E offschl@dfee.gov.uk

Source: OFFICE OF THE SCHOOLS ADJUDICATOR

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