Agenda and minutes

Agreed:- That Mrs. I. G. Hartley be appointed Chair of this meeting.

(Mrs. I. G. Hartley in the Chair)

Agreed:- That the minutes of the previous meeting of the Local Admissions Forum, held on 2nd July, 2009, be approved as a correct record.

Consideration was given to a draft of the 2009 annual report for the Rotherham Local Admissions Forum, prepared in accordance with the provisions of Section 85A(1A) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (as inserted by Section 41(3) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006).

During consideration of the draft annual report, a number of issues were discussed:-

- surplus places in schools;

- waiting lists for admissions to schools;

- applications submitted on-line, for admission to Rotherham schools

- the comparative costs and availability of school uniforms;

- school admission appeals and the ’30 limit’ qualifying measures appeals;

- the number of casual/in year transfers of schools;

- children arriving from overseas and joining Rotherham schools

- Looked After Children and pupils with Special Educational Needs

Agreed:- (1) That the draft annual report be received and the document be approved as the Rotherham Local Admissions Forum Annual Report 2009.

(2) That the Annual report 2009 be submitted to the Local Authority (Borough Council), its schools and to the Schools Commissioner at the Department for Children Schools and Families and a copy also be published on the Borough Council’s Internet web site.

Further to Minute No. 6 of the meeting of the Local Admissions Forum held on 2^nd July, 2009 and to Minute No. 31 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Children and Young People’s Services held on 15^th July, 2009, consideration was given to a report presented by the School Organisation Planning and Development Manager concerning the admission arrangements (ie: criteria and admission number) which would apply for school admission in the 2011/2012 academic year.

The timetable for the year is:-

Autumn Term, 2009                          governing bodies to consider the

                                                            arrangements which will apply

by 9^th January, 2010             all relevant details to be forwarded to the

Borough Council

from 16^th January until                      period of consultation via the Borough

1^st March, 2010                                 Council’s Internet web site

by end of March, 2010                      Borough Council and the Local Admissions Forum consider any changes and forward any comments to appropriate Admission Authority(ies)

by 15^th April, 2010                            all admission authorities to determine their arrangements and notify those consulted

The report made reference to the admission criteria and numbers for both community and controlled schools and for voluntary aided schools. The Local Admissions Forum noted that there were no proposed changes to the admission criteria for 2011/2012.

Included within the report were details of each community and controlled school’s proposed admission number for 2011/2012 (appendix two of the report submitted).

The Borough Council currently co-ordinates admission arrangements during the normal admission round. The Department for Children, Schools and Families’ new ‘Admission Code of Practice’ requires this to be extended to cover in-year admissions for all year groups with effect from 2011/12. The co-ordinated scheme will be amended to take account of the revised requirements.

It was also noted that there are changes to the ‘In – Year Fair Access’ protocol and a statutory change to  the length of time the ‘waiting lists’ have to be kept for first admission to Secondary and Primary schools. Details were included in the report submitted.

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

(2) That a further report be submitted to the next meeting of the Local Admissions Forum detailing the outcome of the consultation process about the school admission arrangements for the 2011/12 academic year.

The School Organisation Planning and Development Manager reported on the recent publication of the Tenth Annual Report of the Chief Schools Adjudicator (the first written by the current occupant of that post, Mr. Ian Craig). The Annual Report covered the period September 2008 to August 2009.

Discussion took place on the contents of this Annual Report, which was available from the Internet web site:   www.schoolsadjudicator.gov.uk.

The Local Admissions Forum noted that for the first time this year, all 152 local (education) authorities in England have been required to submit a local authority report to the Chief Schools Adjudicator (which from now on will be required annually), reporting on the admission arrangements of schools in their area.

Agreed:- That the contents of the Tenth Annual Report of the Chief Schools Adjudicator be noted.

Members of the Local Admissions Forum received copies of the booklet for admission to primary school 2010/2011, which had been distributed to parents.