Lib Dem Education spokesperson Cllr Gail Engert has demanded that Haringey Council investigate how parents of prospective secondary school children were left confused after the Council omitted the secondary school DfES codes from their 2006 school prospectus.

The issue was brought to Lib Dem councillor Jonathan Bloch’s attention after he attended a meeting of parents at Fortismere School. The omission of the codes, which are required to complete the admission application form, resulted in the Council and local schools being inundated with calls from anxious parents desperately seeking the codes.

Confirmation of this error has been made by the Council following initial enquiries from Cllr Engert. They have now printed a correction sheet containing the codes however many parents have yet to receive the slip.

Cllr Engert says that it is essential that Haringey Council gets on top of the issue and is seeking assurances that action will be taken to avert a future oversight like this.

Cllr Engert comments:

“The transfer from primary to secondary school is a worrying enough time for parents without having to chase around for the correct codes to complete the application form. “

Note: If you have not received the update, the DfES number of any school can be found on www.edubase.gov.uk.