Issue - meetings

To receive a briefing on the changes introduced in the revised School Admissions Code and the Admissions Appeal Code 2012 which came into force on 1 February 2012.

Rob Hyde, Organisation and Capital Strategy Manager, attended to present a briefing note on the changes introduced in the School Admissions Code and Admissions Appeal Code 2012. He continued to highlight the main messages from the changes:

1)    That the 2012 Code was about simplification

2)    The changes would alter some aspects of the nature and balance in the relationship between schools and the Local Authority

3)    Cheshire East was currently consulting on changes to Admission arrangements and this ends 1 March.

It was queried what the Council was planning to do with the Admission Forums now that the statutory requirement for local authorities to set these up had been removed, Rob Hyde confirmed that the Admission Forums had proved a useful body and therefore the Cheshire East Admissions Forum was expected to remain in place.

It was suggested that a progress report be brought to the Committee once the consultation period finishes so that Members could be briefed on how the changes had been received in reality.

RESOLVED –

a)    That the briefing note be received.

b)    That a progress report be brought to the Committee once the consultation period had ended.