Member

The point I am trying to make is that a blunderbuss power for the local authority to intervene in these areas is, in most cases, much more likely to do damage than to solve problems. Yes, go after the 2% or 3% of expedient or indeed unscrupulous heads who are abusing the admissions system, but do not make the job of the other 97% harder still. We have to rely on the judgment of our head teachers in these difficult situations. We heard from my noble friend Lord Addington, and he is right. These are very difficult situations, but they cannot be dealt with from a bureaucrat’s office.