SUPPLEMENTARY PAPERS Committee CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE Date and Time TUESDAY, 13 MARCH 2018, 4.30 PM of Meeting Venue COMMITTEE ROOM 4 - COUNTY HALL Membership Councillor Bridgeman (Chair) Councillors De'Ath, Philippa Hill-John, Joyce, Morgan, Murphy, Phillips, Taylor and Singh Patricia Arlotte (Roman Catholic representative), Carol Cobert (Church in Wales representative), Rebecca Crump (Parent Governor Representative) and Karen Dell'Armi (Parent Governor Representative) The following papers were marked ‘to follow’ on the agenda circulated previously 5 School Admissions - Draft Cabinet Report (Pages 1 - 198) (a) Councillor Sarah Merry (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Employment & Skills) will be in attendance and may wish to make a statement; (b) Nick Batchelar (Director Education and Lifelong Learning), and officers will present the report and be available to answer any questions Members may have; (c) Questions from Committee Members; (d) The way forward for this item will be considered at the end of the meeting. Davina Fiore Director Governance & Legal Services Date: Wednesday, 7 March 2018 Contact: Mandy Farnham, 02920 872618, [email protected] This document is available in Welsh / Mae’r ddogfen hon ar gael yn Gymraeg This page is intentionally left blank Agenda Item 5 CYNGOR CAERDYDD CARDIFF COUNCIL CHILDREN & YOUNG PEOPLE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE 13 March 2018 SCHOOL ADMISSIONS ARRANGEMENTS 2019 / 20 – DRAFT CABINET REPORT Purpose of Report 1. To provide Members with the opportunity to consider and review the Draft Cabinet Report (copy attached at Appendix A). The report informs Cabinet of the recent consultation undertaken regarding school admissions criteria and proposed changes to Cardiff Council’s school admissions arrangements. Background 2. In accordance with Section 89 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and the Education (Determination of Admission Arrangements) (Wales) Regulations 2006, Admission Authorities are required to review their School Admission Arrangements annually. 3. In order to comply, School Admission Arrangements for implementation in the 2019/2020 academic year (i.e. From September 2019) must be determined on or before 15 April 2018. 4. The Cabinet at its meeting on 16 March, 2017, considered a report on ‘School Admission Arrangements 2018/2019 and Coordinated Secondary School Admissions 2018-2020’. This report informed the Cabinet of responses received regarding the Council’s consultations on the following: the Council’s School Admission Arrangements 2018/19 the proposed implementation of Co-ordinated Secondary School Admission Arrangements for the period 2018-2020 5. The Council’s draft School Admissions Policy 2019/20 and a consultation document setting out the proposedPage changes 1 (see Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 of the draft Cabinet Report) were issued for consultation on 12 December 2017 to all those the Council are required to consult with as set out in the Welsh Government’s School Admissions Code (Headteachers, Governing Bodies, Diocesan Directors, neighbouring Local Education Authorities). The consultation closed on 30th January 2018. Draft Cabinet Report 6. The Draft Cabinet report highlights a number of issues: A summary of the Council’s Schools Admission Arrangements 2019/20 consultation (para 8 - 12); Responses received regarding the draft policy during the consultation period (Para 13 – 21) Summary of responses received and appraisal of views expressed (Para 22 – 255) Responses received from other consultees (Para 256 – 313) Response to Pupil Survey (Para 314 – 320) Additional changes proposed to Admissions Policy (para 321 – 326) Impact on the Welsh Language (Para 327 – 339) Summary Para 340 – 357) 7. The report also includes a number of appendices, copy attached at Appendix 1 to 8. 8. The Cabinet is recommended to: determine the attached Council’s draft School Admission Arrangements 2019/2020 as set out in the Admission Policy 2019/2020. note that the School Admission Arrangements 2019/2020 implement Option A for admission to secondary education, as set out in the Admissions Arrangements Consultation Document (Appendix 2). note that Cabinet will receive a subsequent report on revisions to school catchment areas for 2020/2021. Page 2 Scope of Scrutiny 9. The scope of this scrutiny is for Members to: Consider and provide comments on the draft Cabinet report. Way Forward 10.Councillor Sarah Merry (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education Employment, Skills), Nick Batchelar (Director of Education and Lifelong Learning), and Officers will present the report to the Committee, and be available to answer any questions Members may have. 11. This report will also enable Members to provide any comments, concerns or recommendations to the Cabinet Member prior to its consideration by Cabinet. Legal Implications 12.The Scrutiny Committee is empowered to enquire, consider, review and recommend but not to make policy decisions. As the recommendations in this report are to consider and review matters there are no direct legal implications. However, legal implications may arise if and when the matters under review are implemented with or without any modifications. Any report with recommendations for decision that goes to Cabinet/Council will set out any legal implications arising from those recommendations. All decisions taken by or on behalf of the Council must (a) be within the legal powers of the Council; (b) comply with any procedural requirement imposed by law; (c) be within the powers of the body or person exercising powers on behalf of the Council; (d) be undertaken in accordance with the procedural requirements imposed by the Council e.g. Scrutiny Procedure Rules; (e) be fully and properly informed; (f) be properly motivated; (g) be taken having regard to the Council's fiduciary duty to its taxpayers; and (h) be reasonable and proper in all the circumstances. Financial Implications Page 3 13.There are no direct financial implications arising from this report. However, financial implications may arise if and when the matters under review are implemented with or without any modifications. RECOMMENDATIONS The Committee is recommended to: a) Review and assess the information contained in the draft Cabinet Report, attached at Appendix A, together with any information provided at the meeting b) Provide any recommendations, comments or advice to the Cabinet Member and / or Director of Education and Lifelong Learning prior to the report’s consideration by Cabinet. Davina Fiore Director of Governance and Legal Services 9 March 2018 Page 4 Appendix A THIS REPORT MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE REPORT AUTHORISATION FORM 4.C.214 CITY OF CARDIFF COUNCIL CYNGOR DINAS CAERDYDD CABINET MEETING: 15 MARCH 2018 SCHOOL ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS 2019/20 REPORT OF DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AGENDA ITEM: PORTFOLIO: EDUCATON (COUNCILLOR SARAH MERRY) Reason for this Report 1. In accordance with Section 89 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and the Education (Determination of Admission Arrangements) (Wales) Regulations 2006, Admission Authorities are required to review their School Admission Arrangements annually. 2. This report is to inform the Cabinet of responses received following public consultation on the Council’s School Admission Arrangements 2019/20. Background 3. In order to comply with the legislation above, School Admission Arrangements for implementation in the 2019/20 academic year (i.e. from September 2019) must be determined on or before 15th April 2018. 4. The Education (Determination of Admission Arrangements) (Wales) Regulations 2006 and the School Admissions Code set out the procedure which admission authorities should follow when determining their admission arrangements, including that proper consultation must be carried out and that the arrangements should be determined by 15th April in the school year beginning two years before the school year which the arrangements will be for. 5. The Cabinet at its meeting of 16 March 2017 considered a report on School Admissions Arrangements for 2018/2019 which outlined the need to assess the suitability of the Council’s system for allocating school places at a time when surplus places in secondary schools are reducing, and an increasing number of schools are oversubscribed, as the increased pupil population promotes to secondary education. Page 5 Page 1 of 47 Appendix A Following consideration of consultation responses the Cabinet authorised officers to consider further the Council’s school admission arrangements, including wider research into alternative options and the impact of each, in advance of consultation on the Council’s School Admissions Policy 2019/20. 6. The Council subsequently engaged Professor Chris Taylor, Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods (WISERD), Cardiff University, School of Social Sciences to undertake the research which predominantly focused on secondary school admissions, although any significant issues in primary was also taken into consideration. 7. The Cabinet considered the WISERD research report at its meeting of 16 November 2017 and brought forward a consultation on arrangements which sought to respond to the research findings by simplifying existing criteria, and invited comments on alternative options for admission to secondary education. Issues Summary of the Council’s School Admission Arrangements 2019/20 Consultation 8. The Council’s draft School Admissions Policy 2019/20 and a consultation document setting out the