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Background - The Legal Framework

The Education (Relevant Areas for Consultation on Admission Arrangements) Regulations 1999 place a responsibility on Local Authorities (LA) to determine Relevant Areas, after due consultation. The purpose of these areas is to ensure that all admission authorities are properly consulted about the admission arrangements which affect them and the communities they serve.

There is a requirement on the LA to consult on and review Relevant Areas within two years of its most recent determination. The last consultation in Hertfordshire was in November 2005.

The Relevant Area may be less than the LA area if there are distinct areas for admissions and may include part of neighbouring LA areas, for example, if there is considerable cross-border traffic. Other important considerations in determining relevant areas are the pattern of parents’ preferences and children’s travel-to-school patterns.

Under changes made by the Education Act 2002 and Implementing Regulations, each admission authority must now consult on its admission arrangements as follows:

Primary schools who are their own admission authority (Foundation and Voluntary Aided in Hertfordshire) must consult with all other primary schools in the Relevant Area.

Secondary schools who are their own admission authority (Foundation and Voluntary Aided in Hertfordshire) must consult with all primary and secondary schools in the Relevant Area.

In addition, the Code of Practice states that admitting authorities which are school governing bodies are to consult any other Local Authority whose area comes within their Relevant Area or within 8 kilometres of the school if secondary, or 3.2 kilometres if primary.