Decision details

Following consultation by Government on a revised School Admissions Code for 2012, a new ‘draft’ code has been published containing new requirements in relation to admission arrangements and the removal of the statutory requirement on local authorities to include within their scheme the coordination of applications received ‘in year’.  The Codes and draft regulations will be laid before Parliament in December, in order to come into force in February 2012. In order to ensure compliance, changes are proposed ahead of a final version of the revised Code, in order that consultation can commence in line with statutory consultation duties.

Admission Arrangements

The Local Authority, as admission authority for its community and voluntary controlled schools, has a statutory duty to consult with all other admission authorities within its relevant area, the Admission Forum, admission authorities in neighbouring local authority areas, relevant parents and other groups with an interest in the local area (for example, community groups) on any proposed changes to its admission arrangements, including changes to admission numbers and oversubscription criteria.

Consultation must last for a minimum of 8 weeks and therefore, subject to approval to commence this process, consultation will start on 1 January 2012 and end on 1 March 2012.

Coordination Scheme

Local authorities must formulate schemes by 1 January in the determination year, which set out how applications will be processed and the arrangements for exchanging information with other admission authorities to ensure, as far as possible, that a single offer of a school place is made to its residents.  If a local authority does not notify the Secretary of State by 15 April in the determination year that a scheme has been adopted for the following academic year, the Secretary of State may impose a scheme.

The Scheme, once determined, will apply to applications for places in maintained schools and Academies received for the relevant age group i.e. at the normal point of entry into reception at 4+ and secondary transfer at 11+ for the school year 2013-14 and to applications received ‘in year’ (i.e. those received after the first day of the school year into the relevant age group or into any other year group). The scheme will apply to subsequent years, subject to any review.   The recommendation will enable the Local Authority to meet its statutory duty to formulate a scheme by 1 January in the determination year (2012) and to consult on any changes proposed.

Full details about the proposed changes were presented to the Admissions Forum on 24 November and advice received is included in the report to the Cabinet Member.

Councillor D Neilson attended the meeting as the local ward councillor for Puss Bank School, Macclesfield. He discussed the background to the Governing Body’s application to increase its published admissions number (PAN) from 45 to 50, which was not recommended for approval in the Council’s draft proposals. Councillor Neilson was advised that the PAN would apply to the reception class for 2013 admission and not to other year groups. In-year applications for admission to the School could still be considered, even if the numbers in other year groups had already reached 45 or exceeded it. In addition, the recommendation that Puss Bank School’s PAN be not increased would form part of the statutory consultation on admissions arrangements and any representations received would be taken into consideration and reported to Cabinet before final determination.

The Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services considered a proposal to consult on proposed changes to the admission arrangements and Local Authority co-ordinated scheme to apply for 2013 and subsequent years.

Following consultation by Government on a revised School Admissions Code for 2012, a new ‘draft’ code had been published containing new requirements in relation to admission arrangements and the removal of the statutory requirement on local authorities to include within their scheme the coordination of applications received ‘in year’.  The Codes and draft regulations would be laid before Parliament in December, in order to come into force in February 2012. In order to ensure compliance, changes were proposed ahead of a final version of the revised Code, in order that consultation could commence in line with statutory consultation duties.

Admission Arrangements

The Local Authority, as admission authority for its community and voluntary controlled schools, had a statutory duty to consult with all other admission authorities within its relevant area, the Admission Forum, admission authorities in neighbouring local authority areas, relevant parents and other groups with an interest in the local area (for example, community groups) on any proposed changes to its admission arrangements, including changes to admission numbers and oversubscription criteria.

Consultation must last for a minimum of 8 weeks and therefore, subject to approval to commence this process, consultation will start on 1 January 2012 and end on 1 March 2012.

Coordination Scheme

Local authorities must formulate schemes by 1 January in the determination year, which set out how applications would be processed and the arrangements for exchanging information with other admission authorities to ensure, as far as possible, that a single offer of a school place was made to its residents.  If a local authority did not notify the Secretary of State by 15 April in the determination year that a scheme had been adopted for the following academic year, the Secretary of State could impose a scheme.

The Scheme, once determined, would apply to applications for places in maintained schools and Academies received for the relevant age group i.e. at the normal point of entry into reception at 4+ and secondary transfer at 11+ for the school year 2013-14 and to applications received ‘in year’ (i.e. those received after the first day of the school year into the relevant age group or into any other year group). The scheme would apply to subsequent years, subject to any review.  The recommendation would enable the Local Authority to meet its statutory duty to formulate a scheme by 1 January in the determination year (2012) and to consult on any changes proposed.

Full details about the proposed changes were presented to the Admissions Forum on 24 November and advice received was included in the report to the Cabinet Member.

Councillor D Neilson attended the meeting as the local ward councillor for Puss Bank School, Macclesfield. He discussed the background to the Governing Body’s application to increase its published admissions number (PAN) from 45 to 50, which was not recommended for approval in the Council’s draft proposals. Councillor Neilson was advised that the PAN would apply to the reception class for 2013 admission and not to other year groups. In-year applications for admission to the School could still be considered, even if the numbers in other year groups had already reached 45 or exceeded it. In addition, the recommendation that Puss Bank School’s PAN be not increased would form part of the statutory consultation on admissions arrangements and any representations received would be taken into consideration and reported to Cabinet before final determination.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services authorises Officers to proceed with consultation on proposed changes to admission arrangements and the Local Authority’s Coordinated Admissions Scheme for 2013.