Agenda item - Admission arrangements for Brighton & Hove schools 2015-2016

Note:   The special circumstances for non-compliance with Council Procedure Rule 3, Access to Information Procedure Rule 5 and Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), (items not considered unless the agenda is open to inspection at least five days in advance of the meeting) were that in the light of information in this report about the allocation of secondary school places it would have been inappropriate to publish this information in advance of 3 March 2014, which was the national offer day in 2014 for all secondary school place offers as set out in the statutory School Admissions Code.

73.1    The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director of Children’s Services setting out the proposed school admission arrangements for 2015/16.

73.2    It was noted that each year local authorities were required to consult upon school admission arrangements and school admission numbers with community schools and voluntary aided schools, neighbouring Local Authorities and with parents living in the City. This process included the proposed admission priorities for community schools and those proposed by the governing bodies of voluntary aided schools and academies. This consultation took place approximately 18 months in advance of the school year in which pupils would be admitted under the proposed arrangements. The consultation papers for the 2015/16 admission year for Brighton & Hove had been circulated at Appendix 1 to the report.

73.3    It was also a requirement that local authorities set out schemes for co-ordinated admissions, including key dates in the admission process, and the arrangements for consultation with Voluntary Aided schools in the City and with other local authorities, to establish the “relevant area” within which the admission consultation should take place.

73.4    The consultation process had needed to be concluded by 1 March 2014, with a minimum of 8 weeks consultation time and this requirement had been fulfilled. The City Council also needed to have reached its decisions and confirmed its admission arrangements for 2015/16 by 15 April 2014 in order to conform to the requirements of the School Admissions Code.

73.5    The Head of Education, Planning and Contracts explained that the current arrangements had worked well, however, in view of the measures detailed by the Executive Director which had needed to be made in the current year and in view of the need to create additional school places across the city in future years it was timely for the existing arrangements for secondary school admissions to be reviewed. In answer to questions it was explained that the date(s) by which application forms were due for return was prescribed by Government policy. There was a gap in time between receipt of forms and the allocation of places.

73.6    The Chair stated that in order to address the issues raised it was proposed that the recommendations in the report be amended in order for an additional resolution (no 6) to be added as set out below. This was proposed by the Chair, Councillor Shanks and seconded by the Deputy Chair, Councillor Buckley: The  amendment was as follows:

            “(6) That the operation of the council’s reallocation pool (also known as waiting list) for each catchment shall give priority to any child still living within their catchment area, who has applied for a school place within catchment before the closing date for the relevant school year, and who was not allocated a placement within the catchment for the relevant year.”

73.7    A vote was taken and the recommendations set out in the report including the proposed amendment were agreed on a vote of 8 to 2.

73.8    RESOLVED – (1) That the proposed school admission numbers set out in the consultation documents be adopted for the admissions year 2015/16;

            (2) That the admission priorities for Community Schools set out in the Consultation documents be adopted for all age groups;

(3) That the Council should review the final version of the Cardinal Newman Catholic School and King’s School admission arrangements (as amended in light of the Diocesan response and parental and school responses) to decide whether it should comment further;

(4)That the co-ordinated schemes of admission be approved;

(5) That the City boundary be retained as the relevant area for consultation for school admissions; and

(6) That the operation of the council’s relocation pool (also known as waiting list) for each catchment shall give priority to any child still living within their catchment area, who has applied for a school place within catchment before the closing date for the relevant school year, and who was not allocated a placement within the catchment for the relevant year (amendment agreed at the meeting).

Note: Councillor Pissaridou voted against the recommendations.