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 1st July, 2010, be approved as a correct record.

Further to Minute No. 4 of the meeting of the Local Admissions Forum held on 1^st July, 2010 and to Minute No. 37 of the meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers for Children and Young People’s Services held on 21^st July, 2010, 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 2012/2013 academic year.

The timetable for the year is:-

Autumn Term, 2010                          governing bodies to consider the

                                                            arrangements which will apply

by 10^th December, 2010                  all relevant details to be forwarded to the

Borough Council

from 4^th January until             period of consultation via the Borough

1^st March, 2011                                 Council’s Internet web site

by end of March, 2011                      Borough Council and the Local Admissions Forum consider any changes and forward any comments to appropriate Admission Authority(ies)

by 15^th April, 2011                            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 2012/2013.

Included within the report were details of each community and controlled school’s proposed admission number for 2012/2013 (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’ ‘Admission Code of Practice’ required this to be extended to cover in-year admissions for all year groups with effect from 2011/12 and the Council’s scheme had been modified last year to take this into account.

The Local Admissions Forum noted the following intentions of the admission authority:-

(i) to revert to maintaining waiting lists for reception/foundation 2 places at primary schools only until 31 December, rather than for a whole academic year (reference - the Local Admissions Forum meeting held on 19^th March 2009); it was noted that waiting lists for Year 7 places at secondary school were maintained only until 31 December; and

(ii) to issue to parents a summary of the information contained in the admissions booklet (the whole booklet is available upon request and also via the Borough Council’s Internet web site).

During discussion of this item, reference was made to the possible establishment of schools in the region which would not be subject to local authority control:-

- a school for pupils aged 11 to 18 years, possibly using the former University of Sheffield premises near to Dearne Valley College;

- publicity about a ‘free’ school being established at premises within the Rotherham town centre;

- possible interest in establishing a school in the Catcliffe/Waverley area on the boundary between Rotherham and Sheffield.

It was also noted that Brinsworth Comprehensive School and Wales High School had gained Academy status with effect from 1^st October, 2010.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Consideration was given to a draft of the 2010 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;

- falling rolls in secondary schools during most of the next decade;

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

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

- school admission appeal decisions which had referred to the Local

  Government Ombudsman;

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

- increasing numbers of children arriving from overseas and joining

  Rotherham schools;

- the fair access protocol;

- 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 2010.

(2) That the Annual Report 2010 be submitted to the Local Authority (Borough Council), its schools and to the Schools Commissioner at the Department for Education and a copy also be published on the Borough Council’s Internet web site.

The School Organisation Planning and Development Manager reported on the recent publication of the Eleventh Annual Report of the Chief Schools Adjudicator. The Annual Report covered the period September 2009 to August 2010.

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

Agreed:- That the contents of the Eleventh 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 2011/2012. The booklet is available to view on the Council’s Internet web site and paper copies will be sent to parents upon request.

The Local Admissions Forum also noted that the number of applications submitted online by parents for 2011/12 admissions had reduced as a result of the application form, instead of the full booklet, being posted directly to parents. However, the number of parents not applying for a place has reduced. The members of the Local Admissions Forum welcomed the increase in the proportion of parents who have submitted applications for admission of their children to school.

The Local Admissions Forum placed on record its congratulations to Mrs. Irene G. Hartley who had been awarded the honour of Member of the Order of the British Empire (M.B.E.) in Her Majesty the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2010.