14.1 The Lead Member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability considered a report by the Director of Children’s Services seeking approval to consult on the on admission arrangements for the 2020/21 school year.
14.2 RESOLVED - to approve
consultation on the following proposed admission arrangements for
the 2020/21 school year:
1. The proposed admission priorities and community areas;
2. The proposed admissions numbers, including the proposed increase to the
PAN (Published Admission Number) for Willingdon Community School;
3. The proposed co-ordinated admissions schemes with the following
changes:
· That the primary and secondary scheme be amended slightly to
reflect the assumption that it is in the best interests of summerborn
children to be admitted to reception at compulsory school
age where their parents request it, unless there are clear reasons
why this would be inappropriate, and that own admission
authority schools in East Sussex should be advised of this
assumption and encouraged to adopt it by the County
Council;
· That parents still be required to make a case for this so that it
can be demonstrated that the County Council has considered the
rationale behind the request and made the decision in the child’s
best interests;
· That the County Council continue to advise all parents whose
request for admission out of year group is agreed of the potential
difficulties this could cause later on, and continue to require
parents to agree that they have understood this and take
responsibility for this decision.
4. That with respect to in-year admissions (for example, families moving into
the area with a child who has already been deferred in another area or
admission authority) that the County Council should work on the same
assumption;
5. That in cases where parents submit in-year applications (or phase transfer
applications for junior or secondary school) for their children to be
educated out of year group where this has not happened before, or where
they have come from provision that does not follow the National
Curriculum (e.g. private provision or overseas) the County Council advise
parents of a likely delay and make a decision in the best interests of the
child in consultation with the Headteacher of the relevant school as in the
case of summer-born children applying at
reception entry; and
6. That the County Council adopt the recommendation set out in a letter from
the Rt Hon Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for School Standards, that the
definition of ‘looked after children and previously looked after children’ in
the glossary of the County Council’s ‘Apply for a school’ guidance be
amended to clarify that ‘this may include children previously in state care
outside of the UK’.
Reason
14.3 The County
Council is required by law to carry out consultation on admissions
arrangements every seven years or sooner if any changes to those
arrangements for the schools where the local authority is the
admissions authority.