LINCOLNSHIRE ADMISSIONS FORUM
MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON WEDNESDAY 6TH FEBRUARY 2008
AT HORNCASTLECOLLEGE, MAREHAM LANE, HORNCASTLE
Present:
Cllr Mrs Christine Talbot (CT)Mr Peter Staves (PSt)
Mrs Helen Lockham (HLo)Mr Ian Wright (IW)
Mr Tim Peacock (TP)Mr David Bennett (DB)
Mr Richard Gilliland (RG)Mr Graham Burks (GB)
Apologies:
Mr Bernard Noyes (BN)Mr Greg Hughes (GH)
Cllr Mrs Charlotte Farquharson (CF)Cllr Mrs Patricia Bradwell (PB)
Mr Edward Hayes (EH)Mr Jerry Sheridan (JS)
Mrs Helen Longland (HL)Mr Jerry Kinder (JK)
Mr Paul Strong (PS)Mr Peter Bell (PBe)
Mr Peter Broster (PBr)Mrs Jean Lammond (JL)
Mrs Jill Marston (JM)Mr Andrew Bassett (AB)
Ms Christine Bish (CB)
Secretary:Dick Pike (DP)
1.0Welcome and apologies
The Chairman opened the meeting by paying tribute to Mr Norman McDonald, a long standing member of the Admissions Forum, who had sadly died recently. Members paid their respects by standing for a minutes silence. Apologies were given as noted above.
2.0Minutes of the previous meeting held on Tuesday 11th December 2007
These were agreed and signed as an accurate record of the meeting.
3.0Matters arising from those minutes not otherwise on the agenda
Item 6 Report on Hard to Place Pupils Protocol, 2006/07 – The Secretary reported that the funding anomaly with respect to Solutions 4 had been resolved and that where all parties agree that it is appropriate to rescind an exclusion to keep it from a pupil’s permanent record this would not disqualify a school from receiving exclusion funding.
4.0Admission Arrangements for Academies in the Priory Federation of Academies
Richard Gilliland (RG) was welcomed to the meeting and he explained that the admissions policy for LSST was unchanged. The City of Lincoln Academy however will have a PAN of 150 (reduced from 180) and that the Witham Academy will have a PAN of 78 pupils (39 part time morning places and 39 part time afternoon places) aged 3, 60 pupils aged 5 and an additional 30 pupils aged 11. There are, more part time places available in the nursery class than can be admitted to the Reception class.
In response to a question about the proposals for the Priory Federation of Academies being called in by opposition Councillors, CT explained that there appeared to be concern over the LSST being the lead organisation. She felt that this was in part due to the difficulty in understanding how the academy and Building Schools for the Future (BSF) agendas join up. She confirmed that the schools in Lincoln most in need of refurbishment/rebuild were benefitting now through the academies programme rather than having to wait for BSF. She also reported that the development of the Priory Federation of Academies was receiving strong community support. The other schools in Lincoln and the Greater Lincoln area will be working collaboratively to deliver the 14-19 strategy.
Asked about the take up of places at LSST by the 50 partner primary schools, RG reported that this can vary from year to year, particularly from the smaller schools further away from the city centre.
5.Surplus Places Analysis
CT reported that there is great concern over falling rolls and that the strategy for change needs to recognise this. In particular, there is a critical mass issue for primary schools below which they become financially unviable. Admissions, however, can vary significantly from year to year for reasons other than pupil numbers overall. Mothballing spare capacity may in some circumstances be a solution, particularly where numbers may pick up again in the future.
PSt explained that he has been involved in the closure of 3 primary schools where the number on roll was dropping below 20. He said that in the view of the Diocese the final question has to be, is the school still the best place for the children on roll to be educated. If the answer is no, then sadly the correct decision is closure.
It was felt that the government had confused the picture with its recent restatement that there was a presumption against the closure of rural primary schools. The guidance, however, makes it clear that this does not mean that a rural school should never close, but the case for closure should be strong and the proposals clearly in the best interest of educational provision in the area. CT reported that the recommendations from the primary review panels had been consulted on and accepted by the executive. This provides the basis for tackling surplus places as well as becoming the foundation for the council’s primary strategy for change which has to be approved prior to inclusion in the primary capital programme.
Members of the Forum supported a flexible approach which, for instance, did not rely on simply closing schools that fall below a particular size but look to facilitate other solutions such as federation.
PSt felt that it is very important to have an overarching strategy against which to test local solutions. HLo felt that there should also be flexibility in admissions arrangements so that small schools can go over PAN where appropriate. IW agreed that creative solutions have to be considered, even if these result in closing larger schools if appropriate.
Overall the meeting felt that the time is now right to address these issues now that the pattern of falling rolls is clearer and better understood.
6.Strategy for Change
CT reported that the first draft of the strategy for change is being developed and stressed the importance of linking the strategy for secondary schools with the primary capital programme. The strategy is due for submission in March 2008 and needs to include a full picture of Lincolnshire, including the way in which vocational education, development of children’s centres etc fit in and are linked. This is a very difficult and challenging exercise, particularly for the rural areas.
IW commented on the need to take into account cross border movements and other developments in adjacent LAs.
The Chairman emphasised that small establishments can be part of the overall plan. The solutions for sites are, for instance, unique and very successful. Their success is very much linked to their small size and personal attention that students receive.
IW - it needs to be recognised that there is a critical mass for secondary schools as well as for primary schools. What is the Audit Commission’s view?
The Chairman advised that a secondary school with fewer than 600 on roll is regarded as being too small by the government, yet there are examples of schools with nearer 500 on roll that are very successful.
PSt emphasised the need to tick all the boxes in order to gain government approval for plans. That does not mean, however, that you cannot fight your corner and win. For instance, a much smaller than usual academy is being developed in Scunthorpe.
RG advised that large schools can achieve the same level of care as small schools for pupils by breaking down a school into small units e.g. inner house system. It is also equally important not to forget the role a school plays in the community and there are ways open for imaginative working e.g. by working together in Lincoln the government was persuaded that one of the three academies and the smaller all through school.
The Chairman stressed how important it is not to lose sight of SEN pupils needs and that the Trent Valley Academy in Gainsborough may prove to be a very good model with a co-location of mainstream and special schools.
7.Lincolnshire Admissions Forum Annual Report
The report was approved subject to the following amendments:
- A short explanation of the action which had been taken in the Spalding area to work with primary schools to admit additional children.
- Foundation and Aided schools should be asked for further information for insertion in appendix b.
- Inclusion of an explanation of how ‘exceptional admissions’ are agreed.
- Inclusion in the paragraph on the hard to place pupil protocol of the need to follow up where any schools refuse to offer places under this protocol which is now mandatory.
It was agreed that copies of the report should be circulated to all schools and libraries and placed on the County Council’s web. Reference to the report should also be made in Going to School in Lincolnshire with a link to the web.
8.New Admissions Appeals Code and Correspondence from Jim Knight, Minister of State for Schools and Learners
It was agreed that the Forum will monitor compliance with the Code by asking all admission authorities to complete a proforma and return it to the secretary by March 15th 2008. The secretary was asked to bring a report on the returns received to the next meeting.
PSt advised that the Diocese is working with the local authority on this matter.
9.Standing Items
Nothing to report
10.Dates and venues for future meetings
- 5th June 2008 at 1:30pm Horncastle College
- 12th November 2008 at 1:30pm Horncastle College
11.Any other business
The Forum noted the retirement of Barry Tointon and asked the secretary to write thanking him for all his work and wishing him well for the future.
TP raised the issue of post 16 admissions and the use of a Common Application Process (CAP) from the LSC and whether or not this was part of the remit of the Admissions Forum? CT said that she was meeting with Nick Rashley from the LSC and would raise the issue. TP asked if this matter could be placed on the agenda for the next meeting.
RG asked for a report on any anomalies with respect to first preference applicants following the introduction of equal preference.
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