Agenda item

Martin Harrop gave a summary of responses to a consultation exercise, following receipt of a request from the Wales Primary School Governing Body to review local catchment areas.

The Wales Primary School Governing Body had requested a review of local catchment areas and a report was considered at a meeting of the Cabinet Member and Advisers, Children and Young People’s Services held on 23^rd January, 2007.

The report included the following options:

   1.  Make no change

   2.  Combine all of the areas and make one whole ‘shared area’

   3.  Allocate all of the addresses within the ‘shared area’ to Wales

   4.  Allocate all of the addresses within the ‘shared area’ to the two Kiveton

        schools

   5.  Divide the ‘shared area’ and draw two conjoined catchment areas

   6.  Draw two new conjoined catchment areas.

Consultation has now taken place and the following can be reported:

Local stakeholders (parents/governors – individual responses)

The overall response rate was 36%.

Of the 82 responses, 39 (47.5%) opted for no change.

There was, therefore, a small majority (43 respondents i.e 52.5%) who opted for change, but this was divided between the various options put forward in the report.

If there was to be a change, the largest number (24 respondents i.e. 29% of the total) preferred Option 3, whilst 12 (14.5%) preferred Option 2. There was only minor support for the other listed options.

Governing Bodies

Both the Kiveton Park Infant and the Kiveton Park Meadows Junior Schools Governing Bodies felt unable to support the report’s preferred Option 3 and both recommended Option 1(no change).

Comments

Generally, there was support for the concept of parental preference and the ability to ‘choose’ a school.

Some of the consultees offered the opinion that ‘if it ain’t broke – don’t fix it’, making reference to the fact that, currently, all preferences are satisfied. (All preferences are currently satisfied simply because both schools are undersubscribed and any change to the catchment area would have no effect in that situation).

Some respondents were concerned that any removal of the shared area would be detrimental to parents living in that area and, in particular, that those moving into new housing in the Kiveton Park catchment would have a higher priority for admission to those schools than those currently living in the shared area, even though they would be living further away from the schools.

There was also no real confirmation of the original assertion that the shared area was confusing for parents.

It is, perhaps, the latter two points when considered alongside the original report, that had been taken into account when making a decision on this matter.

The original report had suggested that Option 3 would be the most appropriate option, because it would:

   a)  Be a minor rather than a major change

   b)  End any confusion arising from the use of a ‘shared area’ and

   c)  Mainly reflect the current trend of parents preferences in the area.

Reference was made to the proposal and the fact that it had not been discussed by the LAF prior to a decision being made by the Cabinet Member and Advisors, Children and Young People’s Services.  This was acknowledged and an assurance given by officers present that any future proposals would be submitted to this forum for consideration and discussion prior to consideration by the Cabinet Member, Children and Young People’s Services.

The Local Authority had resolved to agree Option 1 (No change) with the situation to be monitored and a further report to be prepared for Members in 2009/10.

Agreed:-  That the report be received.