Written question WQ83063

There are no plans to make school catchment areas a statutory requirement.

Local authorities are the admission authorities for community schools and voluntary controlled schools and governing bodies are the admission authorities for voluntary aided and foundation schools. Admission authorities are responsible for setting admission arrangements, including any oversubscription criteria, and for ensuring they are properly implemented and oversubscription criteria are applied fairly.

Parents have a right to express a preference for any school they would like their child to attend and where there are places available admission authorities must offer them a place. However, where there are more applications than places admission authorities must use their published oversubscription criteria to ensure the school does not become overcrowded.

It is for admission authorities to determine which oversubscription criteria they use, subject to a prohibition in the Welsh Government’s School Admissions Code on criteria which is unfair or undesirable. There is nothing to prevent admission authorities using catchment areas as part of their published oversubscription criteria and many do. This is a matter for admissions authorities. However, residence in catchment does not guarantee a child a place in a school.