Report of the Head of Education and Learning (CS/20/04) seeking approval to the Admission & Education Transport Policies for 2020-21 and 2021-22, attached.
The proposed amendments to each policy are outlined in the Report, but the full policies can be viewed from the links in the Report, with changes annotated in red:
· Published Admission Numbers for community and VC schools for 2021-22 (Appendix One)
· Catchment areas for community and VC schools for 2021-22 set (Appendix Two)
· Admissions timetable for the next year (Appendix Three)
· Normal Round Co-Ordinated Admissions Scheme for 2021-22 (Appendix 4)
· In-Year Co-Ordinated Admissions Scheme for 2020-21 (Appendix 4)
· Education Transport Policies (Education Transport Policy and Post-16 Education Transport Policy) for 2021-22 (Appendix 5)
All policies for consideration have been subject to an Equality Impact Needs Assessment, at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionarrangements
Minutes:
(Councillors Biederman, Dewhirst and Hannaford attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).
(Councillor A Davis declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in this matter by virtue of payment for post 16 transport to a local school).
The Cabinet considered the Report of the Head of Education and Learning (CS/20/04) on the approval to Admission & Education Transport Policies for 2020-21 and 2021-21, circulated prior to the meeting in accordance with regulation 7(4) of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012.
The proposed amendments to each policy were outlined in the Report, but the full policies could be viewed from the links in the Report or found at http://devon.cc/lapolicies, with the changes annotated in red.
Cabinet were being asked to approve the following;
· Published Admission Numbers (PAN) for community and VC schools for 2021-22 (Appendix One)
· Catchment areas for community and VC schools for 2021-22 set (Appendix Two)
· Admissions timetable for the next year (Appendix Three)
· Normal Round Co-Ordinated Admissions Scheme for 2021-22 (Appendix 4)
· In-Year Co-Ordinated Admissions Scheme for 2020-21 (Appendix 4)
· Education Transport Policies (Education Transport Policy and Post-16 Education Transport Policy) for 2021-22 (Appendix 5)
The Local Authority (Devon LA) had a statutory responsibility to propose, consult on and determine admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled (VC) schools and co-ordinated admission schemes for the normal round of admissions to all state-funded schools. Consultation in Devon was held ahead of the statutory deadline for annual determination by Cabinet. Schools that were their own admissions authority were responsible for their own arrangements and determined by the schools themselves.
This Report highlighted the outcome of the consultation on primary and secondary school admission arrangements for 2021-22 and the co-ordination of primary and secondary school admissions and to seek approval to the schemes. Admission to special schools and fee-paying independent schools was outside the of scope these arrangements.
The number of responses received remained low. Devon’s arrangements had been consistent for a number of years with substantive amendments being introduced gradually and with consultation and feedback from schools suggested they were largely content with matters such as oversubscription criteria, Published Admission Numbers, catchment areas and the application process. A number of responses were received with regard to specific, local admissions issues, detailed at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionarrangements which was in common with neighbouring Local Authorities.
In previous years, the Education Transport Policy had been included in the admissions consultation. The arrangements proposed for 2021-22 for statutory age children and Post-16 students were those previously determined for 2020-21 with changes proposed to the wording to improve understanding, but no proposed changes to policy.
Equality of access to education opportunities was a fundamental feature of school admission arrangements and the education transport policies. All the policies for consideration had been subject to an Equality Impact Needs Assessment, at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionarrangements. All Local Authorities needed to ensure that schools complied with the admissions code and had to be prepared to challenge practice that was neither legal nor inclusive.
The Cabinet noted that the proposals ensured that the Council had met its statutory responsibilities in respect of school admissions. The approach was to provide a comprehensive support service for own admission authority schools and academies to minimise instances where admission authorities introduced unlawful and unfair arrangements, whether or not inadvertently. The aim was to enable parents to have confidence that the admissions process in Devon was fair, transparent and consistent, regardless of the school’s designation.
The matter having been debated and the other relevant factors (e.g. financial, sustainability (including carbon impact), risk management, equality and legal considerations and Public Health impact) set out in the Chief Officer’s Report and/or referred to above having been considered:
it was MOVED by Councillor McInnes, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and
RESOLVED
(a) that it be noted that the admission arrangements were proposed and consulted upon by the Local Authority; and
(b) that the following policies be approved;
(i) Published Admission Numbers for community and VC schools for 2021-22 (Appendix One);
(ii) Catchment areas for community and VC schools for 2021-22 set (Appendix Two);
(iii) Admissions cycle timetable drawn up for the admissions arrangements cycle, set out at Appendix Three;
(iv) The Normal Round Co-Ordinated Admissions Scheme for 2021-22, the In-Year Co-Ordinated Admissions Scheme for 2020-21 (appendix 4); and
(v) Education Transport Policies (Education Transport Policy and Post-16 Education Transport Policy) for 2021-22 (Appendix Five)
[NB: The Impact Assessment referred to above may be viewed alongside Minutes of this meeting and may also be available at: http://www.devon.gov.uk/admissionarrangements].
Supporting documents: