Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 21 January 2016 to Question 22952 on Schools Admissions, whether he plans to strengthen the position of siblings in school admissions policy.

It is for admissions authorities to decide whether to give priority to siblings in their admissions arrangements, where the school is oversubscribed, and many schools do choose to do this. The Government expects schools to balance prioritising siblings with ensuring places are also available for other local children who do not have a sibling at the school.

The Department wants fair access to a good school place for every pupil. That is why we routinely keep the admissions system under review and seek regular feedback from stakeholders on the system. Any changes to the School Admissions Code will require a full statutory process, including consultation and parliamentary scrutiny.