EL/13/100 Cabinet 10 April 2013 ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS FOR 2014-15 and EDUCATION TRAVEL ARRAGEMENTS 2013-14 Report of the Head of Education and Learning Please note that the following recommendation is subject to approval by the Cabinet and confirmation under the provisions of the Council’s Constitution before taking effect. Recommendation: that Members 1. Note the admission arrangements were proposed and consulted on by the Local Authority 2. Note responses to the consultation detailed at section 4.1 3. Consider the recommended policies and schemes at www.devon.gov.uk/admissions- proposed2014.htm 4. Determine the admission arrangements. 1. CONTEXT Responsibilities of the Local Authority (LA) as Admissions Authority and administrator of the Co-ordinated Admissions Schemes 1.1 The statutory requirements of the School Admissions Code (02/2012) requires all admission authorities, including LAs, to consult annually upon their admission arrangements unless there are no proposed changes. 1.2 As the admissions authority for community and voluntary controlled schools, Devon LA consulted on the admission arrangements it proposed for 2014-15. The consultation included all aspects of the admission arrangements relevant to community and voluntary controlled schools including: the Published Admission Number (PAN) for the normal intake for each school; the oversubscription criteria to be used if applications exceed places available; information about parents right to defer admission at Reception; the ‘normal’ years of admission – Reception for primary and infant schools, Year 3 for junior schools, Year 7 for secondary schools, Year 12 for secondary schools designated areas of schools; the Education Transport Policy for 2013-14 as it impacts on parents’ preferences for schools; aspects of the admission arrangements the LA is responsible for as administrator of the co-ordinated admissions schemes: information about application procedures, timetables for applications, waiting lists and consideration of late applications. 1.3 The proposed arrangements for Devon academy, voluntary aided, foundation and trust schools were included in the LA consultation as were those of academies which participate in Devon’s Admissions Traded Service. Schools which are their own admission authority have responsibility for consultation. However, in the interests of Page 1 of 20 streamlining the process, the Council hosts the schools’ consultations for maintained schools and those Academies within the Admissions Traded Service. Three academies were not included: Bradworthy Primary Academy, Pilton Bluecoat Church of England Junior School and Colyton Grammar School. Consultees of the LA consultation were directed to the schools themselves. Of these, Pilton and Colyton have consulted on amendments to policy from 2013 to 2014. 1.4 Consultation is required up to 1 March in the year proceeding the year of admission: 1 March 2013 for admissions in the academic year beginning September 2014. Prior to determination, the admissions authority should take account of any comments received during the consultation process. Following consultation, the arrangements are required to be determined by 15 April of the same year and published on the website of each admission authority by 1 May. 1.5 Following determination, all those consulted on the proposals must be notified of the arrangements within fourteen days. Determined arrangements will be posted online at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionarrangements. Objections to the arrangements should be lodged with the Office of the Schools Adjudicator by 30 June. 2. The Proposed Arrangements for 2014-15 2.1 In proposing PANs, consideration was given to the following: The physical capacity within schools as denoted by the Net Capacity Assessment and the Indicated Admission Number (IAN); the forecast pupil numbers living in a primary school designated area or who attend contributory primaries for secondary schools; the need to set a number which is organisationally manageable, particularly for primaries which must comply with key stage one class size legislation; a presumption that PANs will be increased where appropriate to maximise parental preference where prejudice to efficient education is not identified. that PANs can be increased after determination where an admission authority believes that it can do so without prejudice to efficient education. This may be, for instance, where a secondary school recognises that there have been sufficient applications to make an additional form of entry viable and there is the physical capacity to admit. 3. The Consultation Process for 2014-15 3.1 An email was sent to schools at the beginning of January 2013, notifying them that the consultation website was live. Details of the consultation were also sent electronically to all neighbouring Local Authorities and the Church of England and Roman Catholic Dioceses. 3.2 The consultation website set out all aspects of the proposed admission arrangements and enabled schools and other consultees to respond to the proposals online via email direct to the LA. Responses were required by 1 March 2013 in order to allow consultees time in which to respond. 3.3 The 2014-15 consultation included the following consultees, notified by email or letter: Page 2 of 20 Appendix A County Councillors Children’s centres Members of Parliament Neighbouring LAs All Devon state-funded schools Church of England Diocese All Devon early years settings Roman Catholic Diocese School Orgainsation, Capital Devon parish, town and district and Admissions Group councils Devon Association of Primary Identified faith groups Headteachers (DAPH) Citizens’ Advice Bureaux Devon Association of Trade Unions Secondary Headteachers CYPS managers (DASH) Identified community groups Devon Association of including those specific to Governors (DAG) gender and sexuality, minority Parent Partnership ethnic groups Parent Carers’ Voice 3.4 The following were also used to publicise the consultation: Devon County Council website Consultation finder 3.5 The number of responses received remains low. A number of responses were received with regard to specific, local admissions issues. This is in common with neighbouring LAs. There were few substantive changes proposed for the arrangements this year. 4. Responses to the Consultation and particular issues to note 4.1 The webpage at www.devon.gov.uk/admissions-proposed2014.htm contains a detail of the responses received, summarised here: 4.2 A number of Devon schools have taken on academy or trust status or are in the process of doing so. The process for conversion is significantly shorter than that for the consultation and determination of admission arrangements. Consequently, arrangements which have already been determined for schools remain in place for the new academy and trust schools with the necessary difference that the school becomes the admission authority. As these schools become responsible for their own admissions determination, it will be for them to consult and determine. It is expected that further conversions will be made in the coming months. 4.3 There are scheduled to be three new Free Schools within the Devon Local Authority area from September 2013: The Route 39 Academy, Steiner Academy Exeter and Sparkwell All Saints’ Primary School. Applications for other Free Schools may be approved for September 2014 by the Department for Education (DfE). Should a Free School be confirmed ahead of the 2014-15 academic year, the LA may be required to include its admissions process in the co-ordinated admissions schemes. LA officers have expressed concern that the admission arrangements for Free Schools are not subject to the same degree of scrutiny and consultation as those for existing schools. 4.4 A response was received from one Parish Council suggesting that places be automatically offered at a school, without reference to the preferences of the parents. This is not an uncommon suggestion in areas where there is concern about the numbers on roll at schools and their financial viability. The response Page 3 of 20 Appendix A must be that children cannot be allocated to a school in this manner where parental preference is in favour of another school with appropriate vacancies. This is a requirement under section 15(d) of the School Admissions Code: “…If a school is undersubscribed, any parent that applies must be offered a place…” 4.5 The headteacher of the school, a resident of Copplestone and the clerk of Coldridge Parish Council sought clarification that there were no proposed amendments to the designated area for Copplestone Primary School. It was confirmed there were no proposed changes to the designated area or to the PAN for Copplestone. 4.6 The headteacher of St Michael’s Church of England Primary School suggested that the LA introduce an admissions oversubscription priority on the grounds of attendance at the school nursery for out of area children without a sibling on roll at the school. Currently there are no community or voluntary controlled schools with any priority based on attendance at a nursery or other pre-school setting. Seven schools which are their own admission authority have such a priority. However, the LA must be mindful of recent decisions of the Office of the Schools’ Adjudicator (OSA) and subsequent advice of the DfE in this area. There have been adjudications removing priority for children at nursery settings, most recently on the grounds that those children would establish a financial benefit