The Strategic Director Children’s Services will submit Document “V” which details the annual admissions to schools process, the current position with annual admissions, appeals and in year applications. The report will give an update on the progress the Admissions Team have made with programme of change over the last 12 months and will outline changes for the forthcoming year.

Recommended-

(1)       That the current position with admissions be noted.

(2)       That the Strategic Director Children’s services be requested to consider that all schools, regardless of status, are complaint with the Code of Practice regarding consultation of their admission policy every seven years and comply with the requirement to send their policy, every year to the Local Authority.

(3)       That the Strategic Director Children’s Services be requested to consider  that  all schools explore adopting the medical and social priority that the Local Authority has in its own admission policy.

                                                            (Rachel Phillips – 01274 439215)

The Strategic Director Children’s Services submitted Document “V” which detailed the annual admissions to schools process, the current position with annual admissions, appeals and in year applications. The report gave an update on the progress the Admissions Team had made with a programme of change over the last 12 months and outlined changes for the forthcoming year.

It was noted that the services of the Admissions Team and Committee Secretariat, were available to all schools, including academies and free schools,  through Service Level Agreements with the schools. 

In response to a member question about in year mobility members were advised that this occurred in all parts of the district.

A member asked whether there was any analysis, mediation or support where  an “issue with school” was identified as a reason for an in year transfer.  In response it was noted that parents had a legal right to change school and that it was difficult to interrogate parents about their reasons for the move, however schools were asked not to permit moves mid term.  If issues were identified parents were asked to refer them to the school and Governing Body.  Any concerns identified by officers in the Admissions Team would be referred to the Deputy Director, Education, Employment and Skills to ensure that appropriate action was taken.

A question was asked whether all schools took an equal share of children under the Fair Access Protocol.  In response it was noted that at present, some schools took disproportionally more than others over their planned admission numbers but this was on a voluntary basis and no schools were forced to take more pupils.  It was further noted that the Fair Access Protocol was being refreshed to make it fairer and more transparent for schools and to ensure that every school was dealt with in the same way.  Panels worked in partnership to provide places for young people as soon as possible while taking into consideration issues of health and safety and the implications of moving in the upper years of school.

It was noted that schools that ran their own appeals had to set up an independent appeal panel and that parents who were not satisfied with the procedure could complain to the Ombudsman or the Education Funding Agency.

With reference to on line applications for secondary schools, it was noted that recent initiatives had led to an increase in on line applications from 70% last year to 97% this year.  Schools had participated in enabling parents to apply on line through primary school and had support from staff in the Admissions Team.  No negative feed back had been receive from primary schools and it had allowed staff in the Admissions Team to check the applications earlier than usual.  

Resolved-

(1)       That the current position with admissions be noted.

(2)       That the Strategic Director Children’s Services be requested to strongly urge that all schools, regardless of status, are compliant with the Code of Practice regarding consultation of their admission policy every seven years and comply with the requirement to send their policy, every year to the Local Authority.

(3)       That the Strategic Director Children’s Services request that  all schools explore adopting the medical and social priority that the Local Authority has in its own admission policy.

(4)       That Primary schools be asked to pay particular attention to explaining the secondary school allocation process to parents and carers.

ACTION:         Strategic Director of Children’s Services