Decision details

This report will detail the outcome of the consultation on the primary and secondary co-ordinated admission schemes and recommend approval of the proposed arrangements for 2012 admissions.   

Discussion:

The Student Services Manager updated the committee on consultation responses.  The consultation had finished on 14 January 2011, after the despatch of the committee’s agenda, and two further responses had been received in relation to primary admission arrangements.  One was in support and one objected to the increased Published Admission Number for Barnsole Infants on the grounds of pupil placement impact.  He confirmed however that officers did not feel there would be an impact.

Members then raised the following points: -

·        increased communications to parents to ensure a clear understanding of the process and the reasons for the long time scale between applying for the test and receiving an offer of a school place;

·        that a briefing be provided for Members, after the local elections in May 2011, to provide Members with information about the admissions process and for this to include information on school transport applications and appeals also;

·        the details on booklets relating to providing information in different languages should explain further what an applicant should do.

In response, officers explained that the admission booklet was published every year, in June and added that this year, officers would be holding area based parent presentations to ensure all parents within an area are captured, rather than just providing presentations for parents at primary schools.  There was also an intention to develop the booklet into a more questions and answers based document and to encourage more parents to use the website.  Officers undertook to consider this for the 2012 booklets and to provide a briefing for Members as requested.

Decision: 

The committee recommended the Cabinet to agree the proposed school admission schemes and arrangements for 2012 as detailed in the report.