A SO-CALLED “star chamber”

with far-reaching influence over which children get into a county’s schools is facing cross-party calls to go public.

The admission forum for County Durham makes recommendations on new admission rules.

Its advice is usually accepted by Durham County Council.

However, it has come under fire following a row over admission rules for Durham Johnston School, which saw the council and the forum clash repeatedly.

Following several appeals to the schools adjudicator, priority for places at the highachieving and often oversubscribed Durham City comprehensive will go to children living closest by, at the expense of families in villages around Durham with historic links to the school.

Now Simon Henig, Labour leader of Durham County Council, and Nigel Martin, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition, have both demanded the forum meet in public.

Currently, parents can only make written representations and read minutes of meetings.

Coun Henig said: “My view is everything should be open.

I don’t believe in meetings in secret.”

Last year, the council agreed a motion calling on the forum to go public, but this has been rejected.

Minutes of the forum’s last meeting reveal members were concerned about how many people might attend and risks of unbalanced views and intimidation.

However, Coun Martin said other county forums already meet in public and has called for Durham’s star chamber to be abolished.

He said: “I think it’s undemocratic. I would get rid of it. Responsibility should lie with councillors.

“If not that, it should meet in public. Schools admissions is one of the most keenly felt issues for parents.”

Coun Henig said having a forum was a legal requirement and added: “We can’t just pull out. We can’t abandon the children of County Durham because of the way it behaves. We have to maintain our influence and argue our case.”

The forum’s last meeting was attended by two county councillors, two church representatives, two people from schools which decide their own admission rules, one from a community school, one parent representative, two council officers acting as advisers and a secretary.

The chairman, Dr Peter Mackie, a representative of the Roman Catholic Diocese, could not be contacted for comment.