Agenda and minutes

Agreed:- That Councillor A. Rushforth be appointed Chairman of the Local Admissions Forum for the 2008/09 Municipal Year.

Agreed:- That Mrs. Irene G. Hartley be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Local Admissions Forum for the 2008/09 Municipal Year.

(Mrs. Hartley in the Chair)

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor A. Rushforth, Father A. Hayne, Mrs. H. McLoughlin, Mrs. H. Morris, Mrs. P. Powell and Mr. P. Robins.

Agreed:- That the minutes of the previous meeting of the Local Admissions Forum, held on Thursday, 20th March, 2008, be approved as a correct record.

Further to Minute No. 24(a) of the meeting of the Local Admissions Forum held on 20^th March, 2008, consideration was given to a report presented by the Principal Officer, Forward Planning (Children and Young People’s Services) containing statistical details of the number of new arrivals admitted to primary and secondary schools in Rotherham during (i) the academic year 2006/2007 and (ii) the academic year 2007/2008 (the latter being the position as at 1^st May, 2008).

Agreed:- That the report be received and its contents noted.

Further to Minute No. 25(4) of the meeting of the Local Admissions Forum held on 20^th March, 2008, consideration was given to an extract of the Local Authority’s school admission criteria which contained the definition of the sibling criteria. The definition is:-

“For the sibling criterion to be applicable, one of the following conditions must exist:-

* brother and/or sister to be permanently resident at the same address

* stepbrother and/or stepsister to be permanently resident at the same address

* half brothers and/or half sisters to be permanently resident at the same address.

* brother and/or sister who do not live at the same residence but, who share the same parents

(You may be required to provide proof e.g. Birth Certificate and proof of residence)”

Agreed:- That the definition of the sibling criteria, as now reported, be noted.

Further to Minute No. 25 of the meeting of the Local Admissions Forum held on 20^th March, 2008, consideration was given to a report presented by the Principal Officer, Forward Planning (Children and Young People’s Services) concerning the implications of the Ministerial Statement made by Schools Minister Jim Knight M.P., entitled ‘Strengthening the School Admissions System’.

The report stated that, in December 2007, the Government published its Children’s Plan which included a pledge to monitor the impact of the new Schools Admission Code. As a result, Government officials were asked to carry out an analysis of the published admissions arrangements for 2008 in three local authority areas – Northamptonshire, Manchester and Barnet. This analysis led to the School Minister’s decision to produce the statement which included plans for ‘strengthening the admissions system for 2009’. The principal points of the statement were:-

(i) Strengthening the role of local authorities – local authorities to produce a report each year on the legality, fairness and effectiveness of all school admissions arrangements in their area.

(ii) Improving Admissions Forums - consultation on further steps that can be taken to ensure that forums operate as effectively as possible.

(iii) Consulting and engaging communities and parents more effectively – effective consultation should include all those who have an interest in admissions policies, including parents. There will be consultation on steps to be taken.

(iv) Properly informing parents – a new guide for parents on the admissions and appeals codes is to be produced.

(v) Extending the role of the Schools Adjudicator - Schools Adjudicator to report on steps to be taken to ensure compliance with the statutory requirements in respect of 2009 admissions arrangements. Additionally, the period for objections is to be extended.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families has subsequently:-

(a) Published ‘Primary and Secondary School Admissions and Appeals: A Guide for Parents’ in April 2008;

(b) Requested the Schools Adjudicator to seek confirmation from all local authorities that full consultation on all admissions policies and procedures has taken place for 2009/2010. Admissions booklets including all existing policies have been forwarded to the Schools Adjudicator together with any amended policies for that year. The Schools Adjudicator had tested samples of these and had reported back on aspects which appeared contravene the Admissions Code (this report was also provided for the Local Admissions Forum members).

(c) Drafted amendments to the Education and Skills Bill.

(d) Launched a consultation on changes which would include an updated Code. Conferences to discuss potential changes have been arranged to take place shortly with the consultation period ending on 2^nd October 2008.

(e) Extended the period for objections to admissions procedures to 31^st July.

The report also listed some of the potential changes to the school admissions system which were being suggested as part of the consultation process.

Agreed:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That the report of the Schools Adjudicator on the sample testing of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Further to Minute No. 25(3) of the meeting of the Local Admissions Forum held on 20^th March, 2008, consideration was given to a report presented by the Principal Officer, Forward Planning (Children and Young People’s Services) containing the determination of the Schools Adjudicator in response to the objection lodged by the Council about the proposed admissions policy for 2009/2010 for St. Bede’s Catholic Primary School.

The Schools Adjudicator’s decision was dated 3^rd June 2008 and, in accordance with Section 90(3) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, partially upheld the objection lodged by this Council. Additionally, the Schools Adjudicator determined that, for admissions to the school in September 2009, September 2010 and September 2011, the arrangements for St. Bede’s Catholic Primary School should be as set out in the annex to the determination.

Agreed:- That the report be received and the determination of the Schools Adjudicator be noted.

Consideration was given to a report presented by the Principal Officer, Forward Planning (Children and Young People’s Services) containing detailed information about the purpose and scope of annual reports to be published by Local Admissions Forums and providing guidelines on their content. The report stated that Regulation 3(1A) of the Education (Admission Forums) (England) Regulations 2002 (‘the Forum Regulations’), as amended by the Education (Admission Forums) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2007, prescribed the information to be included in such reports.

Agreed:- (1) That the report be received and its contents noted.

(2) That a draft annual report for the Rotherham Local Admissions Forum be submitted to the meeting to be held on 13^th November, 2008.

The Local Admissions Forum noted details of the consultation process which would take place in respect of admissions to schools for the academic year September 2010 to August 2011.

It was noted that there may be proposed amendments to the admissions criteria applying to community and controlled schools.

This matter would be considered further at the next meeting of the Local Admissions Forum, scheduled to take place on Thursday, 13^th November, 2008.

Members of the Local Admissions Forum received copies of the booklet for admission to secondary school 2009/2010, which was being distributed to parents.

(a) School Admission Appeals for the 2008/2009 Academic Year

The Local Admissions Forum received statistical information about the number of appeals heard, to 3^rd July 2008, in respect of admissions to primary and secondary schools in Rotherham for the academic year beginning in September, 2008.

(b) Primary (Infant) Schools – Admission Appeals - ‘Qualifying Measures’

The Local Admissions Forum discussed an issue which had arisen during the current round of infant school admission appeals. In a small number of cases, there had been questioning of the Admission Authority’s contention that to admit further children to a school, above the Admission Number, would require the Local Authority and the School Governing Body to take “qualifying measures” such as the building of an extra classroom and the employment of an extra teacher in order to ensure that the infant classes did not exceed thirty pupils.

The Local Admissions Forum noted the contents of Paragraph 3.48 of the Government’s School Admission Appeals Code which stated that “It is not the role of the panel to reassess the capacity of the school as this should have been agreed locally based on an objective assessment of the space available. The panel should consider the impact on the school of admitting additional children in terms of the organisation and size of classes, the availability of teaching staff and the effect on children already at the school”.

Reference was also made to the school funding system, introduced in 1999, which built upon Local Management of Schools (LMS) by increasing the level of financial delegation to schools.  Its key aspects are formula funding and the delegation of financial responsibility to schools.  It is used by local education authorities to calculate the budgets of all schools maintained by them.  The system also sets the framework for the financial relationship that operates between schools and their local education authorities.

The Local Admissions Forum agreed that these issues should be emphasised at the next training session for School Admission Appeals Panel members.

Agreed:- That the next meeting of the Local Admissions Forum be held on Thursday, 13^th November, 2008, commencing at 10.00 a.m.