Agenda and minutes

To provide an opportunity for Members and Officers to declare any personal and/or prejudicial interests in any item on the agenda.

No interests were declared.

In accordance with Procedure Rules Nos.11 and 35 a period of 10 minutes is allocated for members of the public to address the meeting on any matter relevant to the work of the meeting. Individual members of the public may speak for up to 5 minutes but the Chairman or person presiding will decide how the period of time allocated for public speaking will be apportioned where there are a number of speakers. Members of the public are not required to give notice to use this facility. However, as a matter of courtesy, a period of 24 hours’ notice is encouraged.

Members of the public wishing to ask a question at the meeting should provide at least three clear working days’ notice in writing and should include the question with that notice. This will enable an informed answer to be given.

There were no members of the public present.

To consider the outcome of consultations held during the Spring Term 2011 on proposed changes to the Council’s coordinated scheme and admission arrangements for Cheshire East.

The Cabinet Member considered the outcome of consultations held during the Spring Term 2011 on proposed changes to the Council’s co-ordinated scheme and admission arrangements for Cheshire East.

Consultations had been undertaken during the Spring Term 2011 on proposed changes to the Council’s co-ordinated scheme and admission arrangements for the area of Cheshire East Council in order that arrangements could be determined by 15 April 2011 in accordance with statutory requirements.

The proposed admission arrangements for Cheshire East community and controlled schools would apply with effect from September 2012, subject to any review.

The Co-ordinated 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 2012-13 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) with effect from September 2011. This scheme would apply to subsequent years, subject to any review.

The proposals would enable the Local Authority to meet its statutory duty to determine a co-ordinated scheme and admission arrangements by 15^th April 2011, and to notify all consultees of the decision in accordance with legal requirements.

Full details about the proposed changes and the feedback received during consultation had been presented to the statutory Admissions Forum on 14^th March. The Forum had resolved to recommend to the Cabinet Member that the proposed co-ordinated scheme be approved.

The report had been considered and accepted by the Children and Families Mid-point Scrutiny Committee on 15^th March.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services approves

(1)   the proposed admission arrangements for Cheshire East community and controlled schools, which are the overall procedure, practices, criteria and supplementary information to be used in deciding on the allocation of school places;

(2)   the proposed co-ordinated admission scheme, which all local authorities are required by section 88M of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (SSFA) and the Co-ordination Regulations to have in place;and

(3)   notification of the determined arrangements to all consultees within 14 days of determination.