Agenda item

Report of the Head of Education and Learning (CS/18/09) on the approval to Admission & Education Transport Policies for 2018-19 and 2019-20, attached.

(Councillors Brazil, Connett, Dewhirst and Hannaford attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

(Councillor Davis declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in this matter by virtue of her son being in receipt of Council transport and withdrew from the meeting during its consideration).

The Cabinet considered the Report of the Head of Education and Learning (CS/18/9) on the approval to Admission & Education Transport Policies for 2018-19 and 2019-20, 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 (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 the 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 2019-20 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 not included.

Cabinet were being asked to determine the Normal Round Co-Ordinated Admissions Scheme for 2019-20, the In-Year Co-Ordinated Admissions Scheme for 2018-19, the Education Transport Policy for 2019-20 and the Fair Access Protocol, for implementation from the summer term 2018 with amendments summarised at section 2. All policies were published at http://devon.cc/lapolicies

In addition, Cabinet were asked to approve the admissions cycle timetable drawn up for the following year’s admissions arrangements cycle, set out at Appendix Three.

The Cabinet noted that the admission arrangements had been proposed and consulted on by the Local Authority and also that in a more autonomous school system, Local Authorities needed to ensure schools complied with the admissions code and had to be prepared to challenge any practice that was neither legal nor inclusive.

In addition, 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. An Equality Impact Assessment had been completed as part of this decision making process which was referred to in the Head of Service’s Report and available to all Members at www.devon.gov.uk/admissionarrangements,for the attention of Cabinet at this meeting. It recognised that the proposed admissions policy supported the principle of providing local places for children at local schools and the role of the service inThe service seeks to

determine pupil admission arrangements which

maximise parental preference

and

promote social equity and community

c

ohesion

.

 The service seeks to

determine pupil admission arrangements which

maximise parental preference

and

promote social equity and community

c

ohesion

.

determining pupil admission arrangements which maximised parental preference and to promote social equity and community cohesion.

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 2019/20 for statutory age children and Post-16 students were those previously determined for 2018/19 with changes proposed to the wording to improve understanding. Members were able access a tracked changes document reflecting the changes.

The Impact Assessment in relation to Transport highlighted the aims of the service in facilitating parental and student preference for education within the limits of published and identifiable criteria for entitlement, in accordance with relevant legislation. The Assessment recognised that care had to be taken to retain public confidence that the policy was as fair as possible and didn’t result in disproportionate numbers of refusals for particular groups of children.

It also highlighted that public confidence had to be maintained as far as possible that an appropriate balance was struck between the demand for transport and the requirements to provide a cost-effective, efficient service.

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

It was MOVED by Councillor McInnes, SECONDED by Councillor Hart, and

RESOLVED that

(a) the Published Admission Numbers for community and VC schools for 2019-20, as set out at Appendix One of the Report, be approved;

(b) the catchment areas for community and VC schools for 2019-20, as set out at Appendix Two of the Report, be approved;

(c) the amendments to both co-ordinated admissions schemes, as detailed at Appendix Four of the Report, be approved;

(d) the amendments the Fair Access Protocol, as detailed at Appendix Five of the Report, be approved; and

(e) the Education Transport Policies for 2019-20 and amendments detailed at section 6.1 of the Report be approved.