The impact of the Equality Act 2010 on school admissions.

1. Equality Act 2010
Impact on the
School Admissions Process

2. Discrimination in Admissions
Responsible Body of school must ensure
admissions are fair.

3. Discriminatory Practices
• Discriminatory arrangements for deciding
who is offered admission.
• Using protected characteristics to set
terms for offering admission as a pupil.
• Not admitting a pupil because of a
protected characteristic.
• Harassment of a person who has applied
for admission.

4. Discrimination During Application
Process
Information given, and the application
process, must be fair and open.
Information sources, and application
process, must be accessible to disabled
people.
Reasonable adjustments must be made.

5. Admissions Criteria
• Are permitted.
• Must not discriminate directly or indirectly.
Schools should review admissions
processes to guard against accidental
discrimination.

6. Examples of Discrimination
• Fixed gender proportions at a co-
educational school,
• Exclusive catchment area boundaries,
• Differentiation of factors between racial
groups,
• Differences in acceptable scores for entry
exams between boys and girls, different
nationalities, etc.

7. Further Examples
Refusal to admit disabled pupils because of
behaviour concerns arising from the
disablement,
Refusal to admit pupils with English as a
second language.

8. Exceptions for Schools
• Single-sex schools,
• Schools with a religious character.

9. Single-Sex Schools
Permitted to exclude applications on the
basis of sex.
Not permitted to use any other protected
characteristic to set criteria.

10. Schools with a
Designated Religious Character
May discriminate on grounds of religion or
belief by setting criteria giving preference
to members of own religion.
Maintained schools must comply with
Admissions Code.
No other protected characteristic may be
used as admission criteria.

11. Admissions – Other Legal
Requirements
Admissions Codes issued by:
• Department for Education,
• Welsh Assembly Government,
• Scottish Government.

12. Admissions Authorities
Local Authority: Community, Voluntary
Controlled Schools (unless function
devolved to governors)
Governing Body: Foundations Schools,
Trusts, Voluntary Aided Schools,
Academies.