The Proposed Admission Arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools for 2008/9

AGENDA ITEM 8

BOROUGH OF POOLE

CHILDREN’S SERVICES OVERVIEW GROUP – 18 JANUARY 2007

REPORT OF HEADS OF PUPIL, PARENT AND YOUTH SERVICES AND SCHOOL ADVICE AND SUPPORT SERVICES ON THE PROPOSED ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS FOR COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY CONTROLLED SCHOOLS for 2008/9

PART OF PUBLISHED FORWARD PLAN: YES

STATUS – SERVICE ISSUE

1.PURPOSE

1.1.To inform the Children’s Services Overview Group of the draft scheme for co-ordinated admissions, the draft admission arrangements for Community and Voluntary Controlled schools for the academic year 2008/9 and the provision of a Choice Advice Service.

1. DECISION REQUIRED.

2.1The Children’s Services Overview Group is requested to approve the proposed action on the setting up of a Choice Advice Service in Poole and to consultation being carried out on all the proposed admission arrangements in accordance with statutory requirements.

3.BACKGROUND TO ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS

3.1The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) defines admission arrangements as any matter relating to school admissions. This includes schemes for the co-ordination of school admissions, admission policies, and school Published Admission Numbers.

3.2In September 2006 the DfES published a new Draft School Admissions Code of Practice. A report was submitted to the Children’s Services Overview Group in November 2007. Comments on the Draft Code were submitted by the local authority by the end of the consultation period on 1 December 2006.

3.3In addition to giving guidance on school admission issues the draft Code also sets out a new requirement for local authorities to provide “Choice Advice” to parents. Local authorities are under a statutory duty to ensure fair access to educational opportunity and to increase opportunities for parental choice: “they should arrange independent Choice Advice for those parents who need it”.

3.4 The local authority is required to have in place a scheme for the co-ordination of all admissions to maintained schools within its area.

3.5The Borough, as the admission authority for all Community and Voluntary Controlled schools, is required to consult upon and publish its admissions arrangements each year.

3.6It is anticipated by the DfES that the new School Admissions Code of Practice will be published in January/February 2007 and will affect school admission arrangements from September 2008.

4CO-ORDINATED ADMISSIONS SCHEMES.

4.1Set out at Appendices A and B are draft co-ordinated admissions schemes for 2008/9 for primary and secondary admissions respectively. Primary schools include all First, Primary, Combined and Middle schools in Poole (with the exception of Year 8 at Broadstone Middle School which is in the secondary scheme.)

4.2The main change in school admissions is in the way in which applications are dealt with. The new Code of Practice does not allow a “First Preference First” system to operate in any area where there is an element of selection. This means that the admission process from September 2008 will have to change to an “Equal Preference” system.

4.3An equal preference system takes into account all three of an applicant’s preferences. Admission authorities will not know where their school has been ranked in the parents’ preferences. Each of the admission authorities then considers the list of applicants and, if it oversubscribed, uses its oversubscription criteria to decide who should be offered places. If a school is not oversubscribed then all the applicants can be offered a place. The admission authority then advises the local authority of the order it can offer places. The local authority then offers each parent, where possible, their highest ranked preferred school.

4.4The Code also suggests that the results of selective school testing should be made known prior to parents completing their application. Discussions have been held with the two Poole grammar schools and it has been agreed that as disclosing the results would only help parents in a “first preference first” system and as all schools in Poole will be adopting an “equal preference” system, there is no value in making the results known. Parents will not be “risking” a preference for their either their catchment or any other school if their child fails the entrance test and therefore there appears to be no “admission” reasons to give the results of testing in advance of the closing date for applications.

4.5The draft co-ordinated admissions schemes for 2008/9 have taken into consideration the guidance set out in the Draft School Admissions Code of Practice and the decision of the Poole Admissions Forum.

5ADMISSION POLICIES

5.1The draft admissions policies for 2008/9 are set out in Appendices C and D. In view of the fact that the draft Admissions Code of Practice is due to be published shortly and will affect admissions in September 2008 appropriate amendments have been made. The changes are highlighted in bold italic type.

5.2 The amendments/additions to the policies include:

• Change from a “First Preference First” to an “Equal Preference” admissions scheme;
• Part-time entry of 4 year olds. The local authority received a few requests from parents to allow their four year old children to start in the Reception year on a full time basis from September. Currently pupils born between 1 September and 28 February in the qualifying year start on a part–time basis in September moving to full time after the Autumn half-term. The Borough has consulted all 220 Early Years providers and Childminders on the proposal. The result of the consultation showed that there was no real support for any change in the current arrangements with 16 supporting the status quo and 18 supporting parents deciding. Of the primary schools consulted 4 preferred the status quo and 2 supported parents deciding.
• Inclusion of a note on how applications from children of multiple births will be handled (recommended by the 2007 Admissions Code of Practice).
• Inclusion of a note explaining how applicants from blocks of flats will be considered under the distance criterion if only one place remains available (recommended by the 2007 Admissions Code of Practice).
• The definition of “home address” has been reviewed and further clarified.

6PUBLISHED ADMISSION NUMBERS

6.1The local authority is required to review and consult upon the Published Admission Numbers (PANs) for all Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools. PANs are the maximum number of pupils the school can accommodate in the admission year at a school.

6.2Set out in Appendix E is a schedule of existing PANs and those proposed for September 2008. Changes are identified in bold italic and details of the reasons for the changes are specified.

6.3Revised school pupil forecasts were presented to the last meeting of Children’s Services Overview Group. These forecasts are prepared by Strategic Planning Services in consultation with officers from School Advice and Support Services and Pupil, Parent and Youth Services. School pupil forecasts are used to inform decisions about proposed changes to PANs.

6.4A report on the proposal to combine Turlin Moor Community First School and Turlin Moor Community Middle School is a separate item on the agenda for this meeting. It is proposed that the combination should take effect in September 2008 and that the PAN for the new combined school should be 60.

7.CHOICE ADVICE

7.1The Code establishes a duty on local authorities to provide independent advice and assistance to parents of children of all ages in making their choice of preferences for schools. In order to support local authorities in discharging this duty in the case of transition from primary to secondary school, funding has been made available to enable them to establish a Choice Advice Service. This service should target practical support and advice to those parents who are most likely to need extra help in navigating the school admissions system.

7.2The draft Code states that Choice Advice can be delivered either in the form of group meetings or on a 1:1 basis. The aim is to ensure that every parent has the right information to make the optimum choice possible for their child. Choice Advice is about helping and supporting “vulnerable” families in making the best and most realistic choice of secondary schools, but it is for parents to make the decision about which schools to apply for. The adviser will not take decisions for parents and cannot guarantee a place at a particular school.

7.3Local authorities are required to ensure that Choice Advisers are independent of those who work in school admissions or at schools in their area.

7.4 The Borough of Poole has been allocated £17,000 per year for two years to meet the cost of the Choice Advice Service. No indication has been given of financing beyond this period.

7.5For admissions to secondary school in September each year the local authority targets all children in the transfer year at all Poole middle and combined schools. A copy of the Parents’ booklet and application form are sent home with each child. Prior to the closing date reminder letters are sent to the parents of those children who the local authority knows have not returned an application form. Middle and Combined schools also contact the parents by telephone to remind them to submit an application by the published closing date. This has resulted in the following figures:

Year / Cohort size / Number of late applications / Number not submitting an application
2006 / 1589 / 119 (7.5%) / 5 (0.3%)
2007 / 1427 / 12 (0.8%) / 33 (2.3%)

7.6It is intended that the Choice Advice Service will be commissioned through the Poole Parent Partnership Service (PoPPS) which currently operates an independent support service for parents of children with special educational needs.

7.7Using data from previous years officers will be able identify those areas of the Borough where there is a consistent problem with the non-return or late return of application forms. The Choice Advice Service can use this information to target those areas with specific help.

7.8The Poole Admissions Forum is charged with reviewing the effectiveness of the Choice Advice Service provided through the local authority.

8. CONSULTATION ON ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS

8.1A period of statutory consultation will be held during January/February 2007 on the proposed admission arrangements, excluding the Choice Advice Service. The outcome of this consultation will be reported to the Children’s Services Overview Group at its meeting on 3 April 2007.

8.2 The Borough, like all the admission authorities, is required to have concluded its consultation process on its admission arrangements by 1 March and is statutorily required to determine them by 15 April 2007.

Vicky Wales

Head of Pupil, Parent and Youth Services

Jane Portman

Head of School Advice and Support Services

Background papers:

The School Standards and Framework Act 1998

The Education Act 2002

The Education and Inspections Act 2006

The School Admissions Code of Practice 2005

Draft School Admissions Code of Practice 2006

The Education (Determination of Admission Arrangements) Regulations 1999

The Education (Determination of Admission Arrangements) (Amendments) (England) Regulations 2002

The Education (Co-ordination of Admission Arrangements (Primary Schools) (England) Regulations 2002

The Education (Co-ordination of Admission Arrangements (Secondary Schools) (England) Regulations 2002

The Education (Admission of Looked After Children) (England) Regulations 2005

Officer contacts:

Co-ordinated admissions schemes and Choice Advice Service:

Beryl Stokes, Pupil, Parent and Youth Services,

Telephone 01202 261910 e-mail:

Admission policies:

Nick Maguire, Pupil, Parent and Youth Services,

Telephone 01202 261912 e-mail:

Published Admission Numbers

Nicola Keynes, School Advice and Support Services

Telephone 01202 633691 e-mail:

5 January 2007

BOROUGH OF POOLE

PROPOSED PUBLISHED ADMISSION NUMBERS 2008/9

COMMUNITY AND VOLUNTARY CONTROLLED SCHOOLS

School / 2007/8
PAN / 2008/9
PAN
Ad Astra First / 90 / 90
Ashdown Technology College (Year 8) / 184 / 184
Ashdown Technology College (Year 12) / 40 / 40
Baden Powell & St Peter’s Middle / 150 / 150
Bearwood Primary and Nursery / 30 / 30
Branksome Heath Middle / 150 / 150
Broadstone First / 60 / 60
Broadstone Middle / 163 / 163
Canford Heath First / 120 / 120
Canford Heath Middle / 120 / 120
Carter Community Sports College / 120 / 120
Courthill First / 90 / 90
Hamworthy First and Nursery / 90 / 90
Hamworthy Middle / 90 / 90
Haymoor Middle / 90 / 90
Heatherlands First / 90 / 90
Hillbourne School & Nursery / 60 / 60
Lilliput First / 60 / 60
Longfleet Combined / 60 / 60
Merley First / 60 / 60
Manorside Combined / 60 / 60
Oakdale South Road Middle / 140 / 140
Old Town First & Nursery / 60 / 60
Rossmore Community College (Year 8) / 231 / 231
Rossmore Community College (Year 12) / 30 / 30
Springdale First / 60 / 60
Stanley Green First / 90 / 90
Sylvan First / 90 / 90
Talbot Combined / 60 / 60
Turlin Moor Community First / 45
Turlin Moor Community Middle / 60
Turlin Moor Community Combined School / 45*

APPENDIX A

DRAFT

THE BOROUGH OF POOLE

CO-ORDINATED ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS

FOR ADMISSION TO RECEPTION YEAR AND TRANSFER TO MIDDLE SCHOOL SEPTEMBER 2008/9

1. PROCESS FOR NORMAL ADMISSIONS ROUND TO FIRST AND COMBINED SCHOOLS (YEAR R)

1.1Poole Local Authority (LA) will prepare the Borough information booklet and an application form and make them available to all parents within the Authority via first, combined and primary schools. Additionally, on the Borough of Poole website there will be information on how to apply for a school place and an opportunity for parents to make an application on-line

1.2The parents of pupils who live in other LAs will need to contact Poole LA for the information booklet and the common application form if they wish to express a preference for a school in Poole. If parents apply for a Poole school on a form from a neighbouring LA, the form will be accepted and if necessary, parents will be contacted to ensure that all relevant information is included. The date of the application will be considered to be when the original form was received. If a parent sends the application form to a neighbouring authority (Bournemouth and Dorset) in error there is an agreement that the authority will record the date of receipt and send it direct to Poole LA.

1.3Parents will be asked to complete an application, which will ask them to nominate up to three schools in order of preference and give their reasons for applying if they wish to do so. This form must be returned to the Admissions Team, Pupil, Parent and Youth Services with any supporting evidence by the published closing date of midday on Friday 11 January 2008.

1.4Parents must complete either an on-line application or the application form to be considered for a school place (in circumstances where parents complete the form for a neighbouring LA in error, this will be accepted, see 1.2 above). failure to complete an application may result in a parent not being offered a place for their child.

1.5Any application form received after the closing date will be considered as late. The co-ordinated scheme gives priority to all applicants who apply on time and late applications will only be considered once all the on time applications have been processed. The LA will process all late applications on a weekly basis until the beginning of the Autumn term.

1.6Parents expressing a preference for voluntary aided or voluntary controlled schools on denominational grounds must send the completed supporting evidence form, which will be available from these schools, with their application form to the Admissions Team, in Pupil, Parent and Youth Services by the published closing date. Parents completing an on-line application form must forward supporting evidence direct to the LA by the published closing date.

1.7The LA will send by courier copies of the supporting evidence forms to the VA schools on a weekly basis.

1.8The LA will exchange information with the other admission authorities within the Borough of Poole by transferring electronically a list of all applications for those schools by Friday 25 January 2008.

1.9The other admission authorities will exchange information by transferring electronically a list of the pupils in the order to be considered with details of the qualifying criteria for each individual applicant to the LA no later than Friday 8 February 2008.

1.10The LA will apply the agreed equal preference scheme for all admission authorities and if a place can be offered at more than one school the parent will receive an offer of a place at their highest available preference.

1.11The LA will prepare offer and refusal letters on behalf of the other admission authorities and post to parents on Wednesday 12 March 2008. Parents will be informed in the offer letter that where a school is at or above the Published Admission Number (PAN) failure to accept the offer of a place by Wednesday 2 April 2008 will result in the LA withdrawing the place. The place will then be offered to the next applicant due to be offered the place according to the published policy and criteria.

1.12The admission authorities that operate a waiting list due to over subscription will invite the parents to have the child’s name added to the waiting list. This invitation will be included in the refusal letters. The waiting lists will be kept in line with the published admissions policy of each individual admission authority. When places become available, the place will be offered according to the published policy and criteria of the individual admission authority. For community schools only, parents will be asked annually if they wish their child’s name to remain on the waiting list for the next academic year.

1.13Where an applicant is not offered a place at their preferred school(s) the LA will advise parents in writing of their right of appeal. When parents request an appeal form, they will be asked to return the form to Legal and Democratic Services (community schools) or the Clerk to the Governing Body (voluntary aided schools) within 14 days.

1.14The LA and the other admission authorities will inform each other within 3 working days of the result of any appeal hearings, since these may have an impact upon another admission authority’s allocation.

1. PROCESS FOR NORMAL ADMISSIONS ROUND TO MIDDLE SCHOOLS

2.1The LA will prepare the Borough information booklet and an application form and distribute these to all parents of children who attend Borough first schools during the first week of the Autumn term. Additionally, on the Borough of Poole website there will information indicating how to apply for a school place and an opportunity to make an application on-line.

2.2The parents of pupils who live in other LAs will need to contact Poole LA for the information and the application form if they wish to express a preference for a school in Poole. If parents apply for a Poole school on a form from a neighbouring LA, the form will be accepted and if necessary, parents will be contacted to ensure that all relevant information is included. The date of the application will be considered to be when the original form was received. If a parent sends the application form to a school or neighbouring authority (Bournemouth and Dorset) in error there is an agreement that the school or authority will record the date of receipt and send it direct to Poole LA.