Children whose parents work at a Newham school are set to jump ahead of their peers when it comes to getting a place there.

Newham Council is consulting on proposals for new school admission criteria, which would see children whose parent or carer is directly employed by a school be added to the oversubscription criteria.

These children would be third in the priority order, behind only children who are or were in care, and those who require a particular school to meet their special educational needs.

They would slot in ahead of children of servicemen and women - another new addition to the oversubscription criteria - and those with siblings at the school when it comes to deciding who gets places.

In addition, the proposals - which are being consulted on until Wednesday - would remove catchment areas for primary schools.

This, it is claimed, will “avoid confusion and remove a barrier to admission at the most geographically local schools”.

However, if the council has to decide between applicants in any of the admission criteria - including the final priority of ‘all other children’ - the walking distance from home to school would be taken into account, with those living closest getting priority.

If the proposals are adopted, they would apply to children starting in either reception or Year 7 in September 2019.

They would apply to all non-academy schools, while many of the borough’s academies and free schools have said that they propose to adopt the council’s arrangements.

Four secondary schools - East London Science School, St Angela’s Ursuline, St Bonaventure’s and Stratford School Academy - plus the London Design and Engineering University Technical College (LDEUTC), which is for 14 to 19-year-olds, have said they will not be adopting the new oversubscription criteria, if approved, and would continue to use their own.

To take part in the consultation, read the documents available at newham.gov.uk and email your thoughts to pupil.services@newham.gov.uk by 5pm on Wednesday, January 31.