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Schools: Location

Answer

The percentage of 11-year-olds with no secondary school within two miles of their home is given in the following table. These distances are measured as a straight line between home and school.

Percentage of 11-year-olds¹ with no secondary² school within two miles of their home—2006
	Pupils
Total number of 11-year-old pupils	557,151
Number of 11-year-old pupils with unknown residence	2,251
Number of 11-year-old pupils with no suitable secondary school within two miles of their home	51,483
Percentage of 11-year-old pupils with no suitable secondary school within two miles of their home	9.2
¹ Pupils aged 11 on 31 August 2005.
² Includes maintained secondary, middle deemed secondary, city technology colleges and academies.
Source:
School Census, January 2006

The new School Admissions Code rules out the use of unfair admission criteria, and encourages admission authorities for schools to consider how they can ensure fair access to schools for all children in their area. Local authorities must provide free home to school transport for secondary pupils attending their nearest suitable school where the school is beyond the statutory walking distance of three miles.The Education and Inspections Act 2006 extends rights to free home to school transport to a choice of three maintained schools and academies for children from low income families (defined as those whose children are entitled to free school meals or who are in receipt of their maximum level of working tax credit) where they live between two and six miles from their chosen school. This will remove the lack of affordable transport as a barrier to choice for these families.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

128460; 458 c1399-400W

Session

2006-07

Subjects

Admissions Location Schools Secondary education

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk