Issue - meetings

Background:

This report provided details of the outcome of consultation on the primary and secondary schools admission schemes and arrangements for 2012.

Each year the Council was required to undertake a consultation on the co-ordinated admission schemes and arrangements for primary and secondary schools. The schemes set out how the Council would co-ordinate the processing of applications to schools. The arrangements set out the relevant entry arrangements (oversubscription criteria) for Community and Voluntary Controlled schools. It was noted that Academies, Voluntary Aided and Foundation schools would undertake their own consultation on entry arrangements but must co-ordinate with the Council schemes.

It was noted that there were no specific changes proposed to the primary and secondary schemes and admission arrangements other than the revision of dates for 2012 admissions and changes to the published admission numbers of 6 schools, details of which were set out in section 3 of the report.

The report noted that consultation had been undertaken with the Admissions Forum, Headteachers and Chairs of Governors of all Medway schools and other admission and diocesan authorities in the area. In addition parents and parent groups, local nurseries and children’s centres had been invited to comment. Details of the outcome of the consultation process were set out in section 6 of the report.

A Diversity Impact Assessment screening had been undertaken in January 2011 and a copy of the screening form was attached to the report. It was noted that a full Diversity Impact Assessment had not been required.

The report had been considered by the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 20 January 2011 and its views were set out in section 7 of the report.

Reasons

The Council is required to undertake a detailed consultation exercise prior to the determination of its school admission arrangements and schemes. The decisions take into account the responses from consultation.

This report provides details of the proposed school admission arrangements for 2012. 

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.