ATL

ATL - Back to Groundhog Day and the annual angst over how many pupils get into their first choice school

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said:

"As usual the vast majority of 11 year olds will get a place at their, or their parents', preferred school.

"But we are back to Groundhog Day and the annual angst over how many pupils get into their first choice school. This just perpetuates the over-emphasis in England on there being one "right" local school and ignores Ofsted evidence that almost all secondary schools provide a good education.

"Parents need to be encouraged to be less concerned about which school their child attends and rather more concerned about the progress their child makes at that school.

"Even with the current economic problems it must remain the government's duty to provide funding for new schools if there are more children than local schools can accommodate."

Notes to editors

1. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) is an independent, registered trade union and professional association, representing approximately 160,000 teachers, headteachers, lecturers and support staff in maintained and independent nurseries, schools, sixth form, tertiary and further education colleges in the United Kingdom.

2. ATL exists to help members, as their careers develop, through first rate research, advice, information and legal advice.

3. ATL is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) and Education International (EI). ATL is not affiliated to any political party and seeks to work constructively with all the main political parties.