Agenda item

Admission Arrangements: Approval to admission arrangements for subsequent academic year

Report of the Schools Planning, Pupil Placement and Commissioning Manager, Education and Learning Service (EL/23/03) 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 3 of the Report, attached.

The proposed amendments to each policy are outlined in the Appendices to the Report and the separately attached Appendix shows the proposed catchment area amendments for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools.

All policies for consideration have been subject to an Equality Impact Needs Assessment, at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionarrangements, also attached.

Decision:

(Councillor Brazil declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of being a Governor at Kingsbridge Community College).

RESOLVED

(a) that the 2024-25 admissions policies for community and VC schools including their Published Admission Numbers (PAN) in Appendix One be approved and the changes to catchment areas within Appendices Two (and replicated below) which include responses from the consultation as well as detailing all Devon-wide changes be endorsed.

• amend the boundary between Countess Wear and Wynstream primary schools as consulted;

• amend the boundary between Newton Poppleford and West Hill primary schools and the boundary between Sidmouth College and The King’s School, informed by the consultation responses;

• amend the boundary between Willand and Halberton primary schools, informed by the consultation response;

• amend the boundary between Hatherleigh and The Clinton primary schools, informed by the consultation response;

• amend the boundary between Berrynarbor and Combe Martin primary schools, informed by the consultation response;

• amend the boundary between Berrynarbor and Ilfracombe Infant and Junior schools, informed by the consultation response;

• not amend the boundary of Berrynarbor, Combe Martin, and Ilfracombe Infant and Junior schools so that the entire parish of Berrynarbor falls into the Berrynarbor school catchment;

• amend the boundary between Filleigh and South Molton Community Primary schools, informed by the consultation response; and

• not refer the extension of Uffculme School’s catchment area and inclusion of Willand School to the Office of the school Adjudicator.

(b) that the normal round co-ordinated admissions and the in-year co-ordinated admissions schemes for 2024-25 in Appendix Three be approved;

(d) that the admissions timetable for the year ahead, see Appendix Four, be approved.

Minutes:

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

(Councillor Brazil declared a personal interest in this matter by virtue of being a Governor at Kingsbridge Community College).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Schools Planning, Pupil Placement and Commissioning Manager, Education and Learning Service (EL/23/03) seeking approval for the school admissions policies for 2024/2025, the Report having 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.

Consultation on the Local Authority admissions arrangements had been held ahead of the statutory deadline for consideration by Cabinet. Schools which were their own Admissions Authority (Foundation, Voluntary Aided, Academies and Free schools, University Technical Colleges and Studio Schools) were responsible for their own arrangements and determined by the governing boards and academy trusts.

Admission arrangements for 2022-23 and 2023-24 had already been amended to note minor revisions to the School Admissions Appeals Code, which came into force for appeals submitted from 1 October 2022. There had been no further changes to legislation or guidance and so admission arrangements for 2024-25 were principally based on the arrangements for 2023-24.

The Report detailed the outcome of the consultation on primary and secondary school admission arrangements for 2024-25 and the co-ordination of primary and secondary school admissions. Admission to special schools and fee-paying independent schools fell outside the scope of these arrangements.

Section 4 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.

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

The Council had a broad and constantly changing role in school admissions with a priority for ensuring timely access for statutory aged education.

The recommendations would ensure that the Council met its statutory responsibilities with regard to school admissions and travel to and from school as well as its broader role in supporting children and young people.

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

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