Industry News
Independent schools benefit from state lottery
Posted on 19th February 2008
As increasing numbers of parents find it difficult to get their children into good state schools, despite living in the catchment area, many are turning instead to private schools.
The Guardian reported today that over-subscribed state schools are increasingly using lottery systems to decide who gets a place, leaving parents who have paid high premiums to be in the right area furious.
Brighton council was the first local authority to support lotteries for school places last year, but many have now followed suit including schools in Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and London.
Campaigners argue that this system is fairer, as it allows children from poorer backgrounds living in bad areas the chance to go to a good school.
However, for parents who are unwilling to see their children lose out in the lottery and have their education suffer as a result, the independent sector is beckoning.
Richard Cairns, headmaster at Brighton College, a successful private school, told the newspaper that applications to his school had already gone up by 43 per cent, forcing it to expand its first-year entry as a result.
It was recently revealed that shadow chancellor George Osborne opted for a private prep school for his two children, despite being offered a place at a highly sought-after local state primary school. 