Agenda item

To receive and consider a report on the consultation on the proposed 2017/2018 admission arrangements for voluntary controlled and community schools and co-ordinated admission schemes.

The Forum received the consultation on 2017/2018 proposed admission arrangements for voluntary controlled and community schools and co-ordinated admission schemes report as set out on Agenda pages 47-142.

There were six proposed changes to previous year’s arrangements, which were not subject to consultation as listed below.

An amendment to Criterion B to make clear that it applied to the medical and social needs of families

Sue explained that this change made it clear that it referred to family and not children.

Amendment to the residency requirements

This was to strengthen the requirements for proof of residency.  Sue pointed out that rigorous checks would be made to determine the child’s home address and strong evidence of special arrangements would be required.

Sue explained that there was a paragraph making it very clear that when an applicant moved to a more favourable location after the allocation, the address originally declared on the application would be used.

Sue also pointed out that applicants would be asked to declare that the address used was expected to be their place of residence beyond the date of the pupil starting school.

In response to a question, it was clarified that where a child was living in temporary accommodation such as a Bed and Breakfast, the B&B address would be used for the school admissions application process.  However the child’s name would not go on a waiting list until the permanent residence was found unless there was evidence to support that this arrangement was likely to be a longer term arrangement, in which case an admissions panel would be able to decide based on the evidence provided.

Clarification following the issuing of guidance by the Department of Education relating to applications from Crown Servants

Sue explained that it was unclear exactly who fell into the crown servant category and there were not many instances of school applications for families of crown servants in the Borough.

Councillor Ian Pittock pointed out that crown servants referred to MI5, MI6, Buckingham Palace and embassies; civil servants referred to other government bodies. However, it seemed that for school admission application purposes, the legislation intended the term crown servant to cover civil servants as well.

The Forum examined the paragraph about Service Families on page 76 of the report.  It was noted that the garrison did not exist anymore so it was suggested that the wording be changed to ‘army married quarters’.  The Forum also asked that references to Hazebrouck Barracks be made to reflect that this was the former Hazebrouck Barracs.

Clarification that parents will be asked to confirm annually, at the end of each academic year, whether they wish their child to remain on the waiting list for the following year

Sue stated that the wording had been strengthened and parents would be asked to reapply to the following academic year in order to continue on the waiting list.  If a response was not received the child would be removed from the waiting list.

Proposal to increase the designated area of Nine Mile Ride Primary School to address the anomaly that a small area of the Borough was not currently included in the designated area of any other school

Sue stated that this issue had come to light when an application was received and it was found out that the address did not have a designated school attached to it.  Nine Mile Ride School had been consulted and was in agreement to amend its designated area to include this small area.  It was the Local Authority’s intention that every area of the Borough belonged to a designated school area.

The inclusion of further information relating to places for two year olds into the F1 policy

New rules included the entitlement of 15 hours of childcare per week. Sue pointed out that care providers were not allowed to take children before 7am or after 10pm.

Beth Rowland asked that the wording on the first paragraph on page 99 be changed from ‘turn two’ to ‘become two’.