Issue - meetings

Determination of Admission Arrangements and Co-ordinated Scheme for the 2023/2024 Academic year

Meeting: 17/02/2022 - Cabinet (Item 4)

4 Determination of Admission Arrangements, Co-ordinated Scheme and In Year Process for School Admissions for the 2023/2024 Academic Year pdf icon PDF 199 KB

This report seeks approval for the Admission Arrangements, Co-ordinated Scheme and In Year process for school admissions during the 2023/2024 Academic year.

 

Portfolio Holder – Councillor Jeff Morgan

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Jeff Morgan (Portfolio Holder for Children, Families & Education) explained that the Council was the admissions authority for all community and voluntary controlled schools in the county and was required to annually determine the admission arrangements and consult on any proposed changes.  For 2023/2024, changes included the reduction in the published admission number at two schools to better reflect the pupil intakes and amendments to the oversubscription criteria to ensure the definition of looked after children was in line with the new Admission Code 2021. Only eight replies had been received in response to the consultation, none of which addressed the issues being consulted upon, and approval of the arrangements was, therefore, sought.

 

Councillor Margaret Bell reflected on recent casework and asked whether the criteria in relation to looked after children could be extended to consider fostering arrangements.  Councillor Morgan agreed to consider, in conjunction with officers, what support could be provided to foster parents who would otherwise be taking their own and foster children to schools in opposite directions.

 

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.  Approves the Admission Arrangements, Co-ordinated Scheme and In Year process for school admissions during the 2023/2024 Academic year, as outlined in Appendices 1, 2 and 3 of the report; and

2.  Authorises the Strategic Director for Communities in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Children, Families and Education to approve the Admission Arrangements, Co-ordinated Scheme and In Year admission process in future years, unless those arrangements or schemes are subject to consultation as outlined in Section 1 of the report.