Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director of Children and Families which presents for consideration the proposed admission arrangements (admission policy) for September 2024, with it being noted that the admission policy applies to all Leeds community and voluntary controlled maintained schools (100 schools) to ensure that places are allocated in a fair and transparent way.

The Director of Children and Families submitted a report which sought approval of the proposed Leeds City Council admission arrangements (admission policy) for September 2024, with it being noted that the admission policy applied to all Leeds community and voluntary controlled maintained schools (100 schools) in the city.

In introducing the report, the Executive Member highlighted that, in response to the reduced birth rate in Leeds, the submitted report did contain proposals to reduce the published admission number (PAN) in 3 primary schools, with it being noted that each of the Governing Bodies had given majority support for the proposals concerning their school.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That in determining the school admissions arrangements for the academic year 2024/25, 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 of urgency, as set out in paragraphs 46 and 47 of the submitted report;

(c)  That the necessary authority be provided 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 Admission Code, 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 2024 (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 2023, with the arrangements being published by 15 March 2023.

(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 46 - 47 of the submitted report)