Agenda item

Report of the Head of Education and Learning (CS/22/01) which asks the Cabinet to note that the admission arrangements were proposed and consulted on for the Local Authority and to approve the recommendations outlined in Section 2 of the Report, attached.

The proposed amendments to each policy are outlined in the Appendices to the Report.

RESOLVED

(a) that the Published Admission Numbers for community and VC schools for 2023-24 (at Appendix One) be approved;

(b) that the catchment areas for community and VC schools for 2023-24 with detailed amendments (Appendix Two and Appendix Three) also be approved;

(c) that the admissions timetable for the next year (Appendix Four) be endorsed;

(d) that the normal round co-ordinated admissions scheme for 2023-24 (Appendix Five) be determined;

(e) that the in-year co-ordinated admissions scheme for 2023-24 (Appendix Five) also be determined; and

(f) that the Education Transport Policies for 2023-24 (section 6) also be approved.

(Councillors Biederman and Hannaford attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Head of Education and Learning (CS/22/01) which asked the Cabinet to approve the recommendations outlined in Section 2 of the Report. The proposed amendments to each policy were outlined in the Appendices to the Report. The Report had been 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 Local Authority 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 consideration by Cabinet.

Amendments had been made to admission arrangements for 2021-22 and 2022-23 following a revision of the Admissions Code, which had come into force from 1 September 2021, and renewed guidance from the Department for Education. There had been no further changes to legislation or guidance and so arrangements for 2023-24 were based on the arrangements for 2022-23.

The purpose of the Report was to highlight the outcome of the consultation on primary and secondary school admission arrangements for 2023-24 and the co-ordination of primary and secondary school admissions and sought approval to the schemes. The Report also recommended Education Transport Policies for 2023-24.

Section 3 of the Report outlined the detail of the consultation arrangements including adverts, liaison with schools, website and individual letters. The number of responses received remained low as Devon’s arrangements had been consistent for a number of years. A number of responses had been received with regard to specific local admissions issues, detailed at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionarrangements. This was common with neighbouring Local Authorities.

Devon was required to co-ordinate all normal round admissions to state-funded schools, with the exception of new Free Schools. It brought forward the arrangements from the previous academic year with some amendments, detailed at Appendix Five. On average, the co-ordinated schemes managed 7,500 primary admissions, 7,000 secondary admissions and 6,500 in-year admissions each year.

Published Admission Numbers (PANs) were proposed for community and VC schools, taking into account a number of factors (accommodation, local demand, organisation, a strategic overview of the area, the constraints of Key Stage One Class Size Legislation etc). The proposed PANs were listed at Appendix One and could be found in the individual admissions policy document for each school at http://devon.cc/schoolpolicy.

The proposed catchment areas for community and VC schools had been brought forward from the previous academic year. There were minor amendments to the boundaries of a number of schools, listed in full at paragraph 4.5. A map for each school showing the 2022 determined boundary and the recommended 2023 boundary was included at Appendix Two. The impact of amendments to the map boundaries was included atAppendix Three.

The primary and secondary co-ordination schemes had statutory deadlines which had to be determined by the end of February which had been taken into account in a timetable for the admissions process which was detailed at Appendix Four.

Many schools in Devon were responsible for their own admissions policy and decisions in response to admissions applications such as academy, free, studio, voluntary aided and foundation schools and university technical colleges (UTCs). The LA still had a responsibility under the School Admissions Code to collate and publish the admission arrangements of all schools, including own admission authority schools - http://devon.cc/schoolpolicy. It also reviewed the policies of all schools to ensure they were legally compliant.

In previous years, the education transport policy had been included in the admissions consultation and Members had been requested to consider them at the same time. The arrangements proposed for 2023-24 for statutory age children and Post-16 students were the same as those previously determined for 2022-23. Also, there were no substantive amendments to the education transport policies.

Equality of access to education opportunities was a fundamental feature of school admission arrangements and the education transport policies. All policies for consideration had been subject to an Equality Impact Needs Assessment, at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionarrangements.

The Cabinet noted that the recommendations in the paper would ensure the Council met its statutory responsibilities in respect of school admissions as well as the broader role in supporting children and young people.

The matter having been debated and the options and/or alternatives and other relevant factors (e.g. sustainability, risk management, equality and legal considerations) set out in the Head of Service’s Report and/or referred to above having been considered:

it was MOVED by Councillor Leadbetter, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and

RESOLVED

(a) that the Published Admission Numbers for community and VC schools for 2023-24 (at Appendix One) be approved;

(b) that the catchment areas for community and VC schools for 2023-24 with detailed amendments (Appendix Two and Appendix Three) also be approved;

(c) that the admissions timetable for the next year (Appendix Four) be endorsed;

(d) that the normal round co-ordinated admissions scheme for 2023-24 (Appendix Five) be determined;

(e) that the in-year co-ordinated admissions scheme for 2023-24 (Appendix Five) also be determined; and

(f) that the Education Transport Policies for 2023-24 (section 6) also be approved.

(NB: The Impact Assessment referred to above may be viewed alongside Minutes of this meeting and may also be available at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionarrangements).