Decision details

Annual determination of the school admission arrangements for the school year 2025/26 which apply to all Leeds community and voluntary controlled schools.

The Director of Children and Families submitted a report which sought approval of the Leeds City Council admission arrangements (admission policy) for September 2025.

In introducing the report, the Executive Member specifically highlighted that these arrangements applied to all Leeds community and voluntary controlled maintained schools, and not to schools that are an academy, voluntary aided, foundation trust or free schools, as these schools must set their own arrangements annually. The Board’s attention was also drawn to the proposals regarding reductions in the published admission numbers (PAN) for some specific schools as identified within the report, which had been incorporated into the proposed admission arrangements for 2025/26.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That in determining the school admissions arrangements for the academic year 2025/26, the admissions policies for the Leeds Community and Voluntary Controlled maintained Primary and Secondary schools (as detailed at Appendices A, B, and C to the submitted report), be approved;

(b)  That the resolutions within this minute be exempted from Call In for the reasons as set out within paragraphs 48 and 49 of the submitted report;

(c)  That any necessary authority be delegated to the Lead for Admissions and Family Information Service, to enable that officer to take any actions should there be a need to revise these arrangements after they have been determined, where this revision is necessary to give effect to a mandatory requirement of the School Admission Code 2021, admissions law, a determination of the Schools Adjudicator or any misprint in the admission arrangements, under regulation 19 of the School Admissions Regulations 2012;

(d)  That the following be noted:-

(i)  The Coordinated scheme for admissions arrangements for entry in September 2025 (as detailed in Appendix D to the submitted report) has been set;

(ii)  That the officer responsible for this work is the Lead for Admissions and Family Information Service;

(iii)  That the statutory date for implementation (i.e. determination of the policies) is no later than 28 February 2024, with the arrangements published by 15 March 2024.

(The Council’s Executive and Decision Making Procedure Rules state that a decision may be declared as being exempt from the Call In process by the decision taker if it is considered that the matter is urgent and any delay would seriously prejudice the Council’s, or the public’s interests. In line with this, the resolutions contained within this minute were exempted from the Call In process, as per resolution (b) above, and for the reasons as detailed above and as set out within sections 48 - 49 of the submitted report)

As changes are proposed, a public consultation is mandatory under the School Admission Code 2021. This must take place for a minimum of 6 weeks between 1 October 2023 and 31 January 2024.

Families, Elected Members, schools, governing bodies, religious bodies, neighbouring Local Authorities and the general public.