Local Admissions Forum Date: Thursday, 21st June, 2007 Time: 7.00 p.m. The Council Chamber, Place: Brockington, 35 Hafod Road, Hereford Notes: Please note the time, date and venue of the meeting. For any further information please contact: Paul Rogers, Democratic Services, Tel: 01432 260516 e-mail: [email protected] County of Herefordshire District Council COUNTY OF HEREFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL 21ST JUNE, 2007 AGENDA for the Meeting of the Local Admissions Forum To: Local Education Authority JW Hope MBE, K Swinburne and AM Toon Church Representative A Robertson (Roman Catholic Church) and Revd I Terry (Church of England.) Headteachers C Barker (Community High School), A Marson (Bishop of Hereford & St Mary's RC Schools), VACANCY (VA Primary School) and JS Powell (Community and VC Primary). School A Ross (Primary Schools), VACANCY (Bishops and Governors St Mary’s) Parent Governors R Stevenson (Primary Schools), VACANCY (Secondary Schools), A Wood (Special School). Local Community Rep P McKinnie (Consortium of Special Educational Needs), S McLurg (Looked After Children) and C Shaw (West Midlands Service for Travelling Children). Pages 1. ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN To elect a Chairman for the ensuing year. 2. APPOINTMENT OF VICE-CHAIRMAN To appoint a Vice-Chairman for the ensuing year. 3. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE To receive apologies for absence. 4. NAMED SUBSTITUTES To receive any details of Members nominated to attend the meeting in place of a Member of the Forum. 5. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST To receive any declarations of interest by Members in respect of items on the Agenda. 6. MINUTES 5 - 8 To approve and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 8th March 2007. 7. LATE ITEMS/ANY OTHER BUSINESS To consider any issues that Forum Members may wish to raise. 8. INFORMATIION FOR PARENTS BOOKLET 9 - 122 To review the composite prospectus for the admission/transfer of pupils into primary and high schools in Herefordshire – otherwise know as the Information for Parents Booklet. 9. STANDARD APPLICATION FORMS FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2008/ 2009 123 - 132 To review the layout and composition of the common application form to be used for the co-ordinated secondary transfer arrangements for September 2008 (SA1) and common application form used for the co-ordinated primary admission arrangements also for September 2008 (PA1). 10. APPLYING FOR A PLACE AT HIGH SCHOOL AND STARTING 133 - 140 SCHOOL To review the layout and composition of the simple guidance notes in relation to admission of children into reception class at 4 years of age and the transfer of pupils into high school at age 11 11. DRAFT ANNUAL REPORT REQUIRED TO BE PRODUCED BY 141 - 154 HEREFORDSHIRE LOCAL ADMISSIONS FORUM To consider the draft annual report shown below as required by The Education (Admission Forums) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 12. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING IN YEAR TRANSFERS 155 - 156 OUTSIDE OF THE NORMAL ADMISSION ROUNDS To consider whether additional information should be supplied to the Local Admission Forum regarding in-year secondary school transfers into Herefordshire Schools. 13. AMENDMENTS TO SCHOOL PLANNED ADMISSION NUMBERS 157 - 158 To consider changes to the Planned Admission Numbers (PAN) at Madley and Mordiford Primaries. 14. OMBUDSMAN COMPLAINT 159 - 160 To consider the details of a current admissions complaint being dealt with by the ombudsman 15. PRINCIPLES AND RULES FOR PUPIL ADMISSIONS AND TRANSFERS 161 - 164 To consider the proposed Principles and Rules for Pupil Admissions and Transfers, for use by Herefordshire Schools. The Public’s Rights to Information and Attendance at Meetings YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO: - • Attend all Council, Cabinet, Committee and Sub-Committee meetings unless the business to be transacted would disclose ‘confidential’ or ‘exempt’ information. • Inspect agenda and public reports at least five clear days before the date of the meeting. • Inspect minutes of the Council and all Committees and Sub-Committees and written statements of decisions taken by the Cabinet or individual Cabinet Members for up to six years following a meeting. • Inspect background papers used in the preparation of public reports for a period of up to four years from the date of the meeting. (A list of the background papers to a report is given at the end of each report). A background paper is a document on which the officer has relied in writing the report and which otherwise is not available to the public. • Access to a public Register stating the names, addresses and wards of all Councillors with details of the membership of Cabinet and of all Committees and Sub-Committees. • Have a reasonable number of copies of agenda and reports (relating to items to be considered in public) made available to the public attending meetings of the Council, Cabinet, Committees and Sub-Committees. • Have access to a list specifying those powers on which the Council have delegated decision making to their officers identifying the officers concerned by title. • Copy any of the documents mentioned above to which you have a right of access, subject to a reasonable charge (20p per sheet subject to a maximum of £5.00 per agenda plus a nominal fee of £1.50 for postage). • Access to this summary of your rights as members of the public to attend meetings of the Council, Cabinet, Committees and Sub-Committees and to inspect and copy documents. 1 Please Note: Agenda and individual reports can be made available in large print. Please contact the officer named on the front cover of this agenda in advance of the meeting who will be pleased to deal with your request. The Council Chamber where the meeting will be held is accessible for visitors in wheelchairs, for whom toilets are also available. A public telephone is available in the reception area. Public Transport Links • Public transport access can be gained to Brockington via the service runs approximately every half hour from the ‘Hopper’ bus station at the Tesco store in Bewell Street (next to the roundabout junction of Blueschool Street / Victoria Street / Edgar Street). • The nearest bus stop to Brockington is located in Old Eign Hill near to its junction with Hafod Road. The return journey can be made from the same bus stop. If you have any questions about this agenda, how the Council works or would like more information or wish to exercise your rights to access the information described above, you may do so either by telephoning the officer named on the front cover of this agenda or by visiting in person during office hours (8.45 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. Monday - Thursday and 8.45 a.m. - 4.45 p.m. Friday) at the Council Offices, Brockington, 35 Hafod Road, Hereford. 2 COUNTY OF HEREFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL BROCKINGTON, 35 HAFOD ROAD, HEREFORD. FIRE AND EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROCEDURE In the event of a fire or emergency the alarm bell will ring continuously. You should vacate the building in an orderly manner through the nearest available fire exit. You should then proceed to Assembly Point J which is located at the southern entrance to the car park. A check will be undertaken to ensure that those recorded as present have vacated the building following which further instructions will be given. Please do not allow any items of clothing, etc. to obstruct any of the exits. Do not delay your vacation of the building by stopping or returning to collect coats or other personal belongings. 3 4 AGENDA ITEM 6 COUNTY OF HEREFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL MINUTES of the meeting of Local Admissions Forum held at Council Chamber, Brockington, 35 Hafod Road, Hereford, HR1 1SH on Thursday, 8th March, 2007 at 7.00 p.m. Present: Local Education J.P. Thomas (Chairman), J. Stone and Ms. A. Authority Toon Church Representative Revd. I. Terry (Church of England) and Ms. L. Johnson (Roman Catholic) Headteachers C. Barker (Community High School) and A Marson (Bishop of Hereford & St Mary's RC Schools) School Mrs. B. Glasspoole (Bishops and St Mary's) Governors Parent Governors (none) Local Community Rep Mr P McKinnie (Consortium of Special Educational Needs) In attendance: Councillor D.W. Rule MBE (Cabinet Member – Children and Young People) 19. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies were received from Ms A Robertson, Mr S McLurg, Mrs J Powell and Ms C Shaw. 20. NAMED SUBSTITUTES Ms L Johnson substituted for Ms A Robertson. 21. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST There were no declarations of interest. 22. MINUTES The Forum noted that the fourth bullet point in Item 18 ‘Voluntary Aided Schools Response to the DfES Letter Dated 17 August 2006’ should read ‘Llangrove C.E. Primary School’ and not Llangaron C.E. Primary School. RESOLVED: That the minutes, as amended, of the meeting held on 9th November 2006 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman. 5 LOCAL ADMISSIONS FORUM THURSDAY, 8TH MARCH, 2007 23. LATE ITEMS/ANY OTHER BUSINESS In response to a question the Admissions and Transport Manager updated the Forum on the outcome of the co-ordinated admission scheme for secondary school transfers which allowed parents to express three preferences of secondary school. Members were informed that on the day places were offered 90% of parents had been awarded their first preference school and 98.5% of parents had been awarded one of their three stated preferences. So far requests for admission appeals had been received for the Bishop of Hereford’s Bluecoat School; Fairfield; St Mary’s and Whitecross. Primary School places were to be awarded on 26 th March 2007. Members of the Forum expressed their pleasure at the high number of parents who had been awarded one of the three stated preferences. 24. SCHOOL ADMISSIONS CODE 2007 The Forum was advised of the revised School Admissions Code.