Your right to choose Local education authorities (LEAs) have to give parents the opportunity to say which school they'd prefer for their child - and the authority has to meet that preference where possible. That's because parents have the right to choose the kind of education their children have; this right is set out in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and in the legislation of most EC countries.
Of course, expressing a preference does not guarantee a place - a school may be full to capacity. The LEA/school must give parents a clear statement of their admission policies and the criteria which help them decide whether a child can be admitted to a particular school. Most children still attend their local school.
If you are not happy with the decision made about your child, you may appeal. Appeals are heard by independent committees and the ultimate authority is the Ombudsman. All LEAs have details on the Appeals Procedure.
Appealing for a school place for my son cost a lot of money - but it was worth it.
If my child is excluded, can I still go to the school to discuss the situation with the head?
"Every generation revolts against its fathers and makes friends with its grandfathers." - Lewis Mumford
In 2001, for Key Stage 1 Maths and Key Stage 2 English, Welsh students as a whole did better than any English region. However, a higher percentage of 16-year-olds achieved no GCSE/GNVQ passes in Wales than in any English region.
