Agenda item

To receive and consider a report detailing the supply and allocation of Reception places in Earley schools.

The Committee received and considered a report, set out on Agenda pages 35 to 40, detailing the supply and allocation of Reception places in Earley schools, which had been prepared following a scrutiny request referred by the Overview and Management Committee to look at the pupil place planning and processes for the allocation of places.

The Chairman said that there was a genuine concern amongst Members and Officers about what had happened in Earley this year.  It appears that there was an increased rate in the movement of young families into the area, which had not been predicted.  The area was such that older families were moving out releasing the homes for families with young children.

Brian Grady, Head of Commissioning, presented the report and pointed out that unfortunately some parents in Earley had expressed preferences for four local schools but had not been allocated a place any of them, so had been diverted to schools outside the area.  Also, some parents had not used all their preferences which meant they had to been allocated schools outside the area.  Once the current issues had been raised, Officers moved quickly to understand the problem and have been working with a group of the affected parents to find a solution.

The report includes the initial findings of the Internal Audit service which had been commissioned to review school place planning and school place projection model.  The school projection models and data were tested and validated.  No significant errors in either the Primary or Secondary Projection Models were identified and that the Council presently had sufficient school places to meet the requirements across the Borough. 

Future roll growth is predicting that Reception Year will peak in 2016/17 and then decline.  However there is a need to create additional capacity in Earley to meet the short term need.

One of the immediate actions has been to test the entrance requirements for 2016/17 and the Admissions Team have been working with other departments to consider whether or not offers are based on misleading information.

During the discussion, the following comments/clarifications were made:

·           There were different ‘hotspots’ when the first strategy was prepared 3/4 years ago;

·           Are Wokingham residents given priority over Reading Borough residents?  Applications from other areas are dealt with in same manner as those from Wokingham residents.  If there are places available for non-designated area applicants, they will be allocated based on radial distance, from the school, so Reading residents living close to the boundary may be allocated a place;

·           Overall more Reading Borough residents are given places in Wokingham, than in the other direction.  The shortfall of places in adjoining local authorities affects the sufficiency provision in Wokingham;

·           admission arrangements have to comply strictly with the national policy framework and can only be changed after a consultation process. 

·           The consultation on the 2017/18 arrangements may include looking at developing shared designated areas in Earley.  Also the possibility of allowing Earley residents to put down 6 preferences is being investigated with the Schools Adjudicator;

·           Parents should be encouraged to complete the four preferences allowed, but they cannot be forced to do so;

·           It is hoped that schools and Members will work to get that message out to parents; Admissions Officers are not allowed to influence parents.

In relation to the issue in Earley of reported ‘fraudulent ‘applications, they were not investigated in those terms, but were identified in the light of misleading information included on applications in relation to the residence requirements.  The issue of people moving close to popular schools on a temporary basis or giving a relative’s address in order to secure a place has been investigated and some places have been withdrawn, with places filled from the waiting list.  A policy framework to allow for better checks and tougher sanctions is being looked into.

It will not be possible to create additional places in Earley for September 2015, as bulge classes require the consent of Headteachers and all sites have significant challenges, which need to be addressed.  So the parents currently affected by the short fall in places at the popular schools in Earley, will have to take up the places in the alternative schools offered, but the Strategy is looking to provide additional places in Reception and Year 1 in 2016.  This is a compromise solution which has been worked on with the affected parents and should give them the opportunity to move their children back to local Earley schools for Year 1 in September 2016. 

The Chairman thanked the parents who had been working with Brian Grady.  Officers assured Members that they were working to provide enough places for Wokingham children.

RESOLVED: That the information provided in the report looking at the supply and allocation of Reception places in Earley schools for September 2015 be noted, and that the Committee had been reassured that the problems identified were being addressed.