Council wins school admissions battle

8.06.56pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 7th Aug 2007

Schoolgirls in the borough will continue to be able to apply for places at a Fulham school after a ruling by the Schools Adjudicator.

Richmond Council, St Osmund's Catholic Primary School and a group of Barnes residents raised objections to the admission arrangements of Lady Margaret School in Fulham, for 2008 entry. The Church of England girls' school had sought to reserve 60 % of its places for Hammersmith and Fulham residents and would have completely excluded applications from parents in Richmond upon Thames. The Council strongly argued that those arrangements were unfair and the Adjudicator has agreed. Barnes, East Sheen, Kew and Richmond will all now be part of the school's outer catchment area, to which 70 per cent of places will be allocated.

Leader of Richmond Council, Cllr Serge Lourie, said: "This is excellent news for families living in the eastern part of the borough, who have traditionally been able to get their girls into the school. For many, especially those living in Barnes, Lady Margaret is not just the nearest Church of England school, it is much closer and easier to get to than Christ's School. We were very keen to champion residents' right to make school preferences. I am delighted that the Schools Adjudicator has upheld that right."