Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director of Children and Families seeking approval of the local authority admissions policy and admissions arrangements for entry to school in 2020. The report describes the changes to the policy and also requests that the updated co-ordination arrangements are noted. 

The Director of Children and Families submitted a report which sought approval of the Local Authority Admissions Policy and admissions arrangements for school entry in 2020. Also, the report detailed the changes which had been made to the policy, and invited the Board to note the updated co-ordination arrangements.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That in considering the school admissions arrangements for 2020, approval be given to theAdmissions Policies for Primary and Secondary schools, as detailed within Appendices A and B to the submitted report, with the following being noted:-

(i)  That the nearest priority is no longer included in the policy for Community and Voluntary Controlled Primary Schools and that applications will be prioritised based on catchment area priority;

(ii)  That any child with a sibling on roll at the school at the time of admission will receive sibling priority for admission;

(iii)  That applications received more than 4 weeks after the national deadline for applications will be considered as ‘late’ and therefore considered after all ‘on time’ preferences (currently 6 weeks);

(iv)  That the wording in relation to Children Looked After has been amended to reflect current legislation and practice;

(v)  That parents will apply directly to the Local Authority for a school place outside the normal admissions round (rather than directly to their preferred school); and

(vi)  That the policy includes greater clarity regarding waiting lists, home addresses, shared care arrangements where parents have separated and how multiple birth siblings do not have the random allocation tie break applied where they are tied for the final place available.

(b)  That the co-ordinated scheme for admission arrangements for entry in September 2020, as detailed at Appendices C and D to the submitted report, be noted, with it also being noted that there are no changes to the 2019 arrangements, other than updates to timelines, and that in-year applications should be sent to the Admissions Team rather than directly to schools;

(c)  That it be noted that the officer responsible for this work is the Lead for the Admissions and Family Information Service, with it also being noted that the date for implementation (ie. determination of any revised policy) is by no later than 28 February 2019, with the policy being published by 15 March 2019.

(Under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.5, Councillor A Carter required it to be recorded that he abstained from voting on the decisions referred to within this minute)