Secondary school admissions in England: selection by stealth
Abstract
Secondary school admissions in England: selection by stealth SAGE Publications, Inc.2003DOI: 10.1177/08920206030170040501 AnneWest Centre for Educational Research, Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science HazelPennell Centre for Educational Research, Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science AudreyHind Centre for Educational Research, Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science he education reforms introduced by previous Conservative administrations in the Eighties and, in par ticular, the TEducation Reform Act 1988, led to the development of a `quasi-market' in school-based education. One of the consequences of the reforms was a doubling in the percentage of secondary schools that are responsible for their own admissions (from 15% in January 1988 to 30% in January 1999) (West & Pennell, 2003). (The local education authority is the admissions authority for other state secondar y schools.) Schools that are their own admission authority (i.e. voluntar y-aided and foundation schools) are in a privileged position compared with other schools. In circumstances of oversubscription, where the demand for places exceeds the supply they have the possibility, if they so wish, to `cream skim' those pupils who would be likely to maximise their examination `league table'