In Year School Admissions - Somerset County Council

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(Cabinet Member Decision – 4 January 2012)Officer Report– 04 January 2012School Admission - In Year arrangementsCabinet Member: Mr J OsmanDivision and Local Member: AllLead Officer: Julia Ridge, Group Manager, Strategic Planning, CYPDAuthor: Julia Ridge, Group Manager, Strategic PlanningContact Details: Tel: 01823 357633 email: Jaridge@somerset.gov.ukPlease complete sign off boxes below prior to submission to Community GovernanceSeen by: Name DateLegalHonor Clark28 December2011Report Sign off21 DecemberSenior Manager John Kirby2011Cabinet Member Mr J Osman21 December2011This paper explains proposals to alter the administrativeprocedure relating to in-year admissions. These changes willenable schools to engage more directly with families seekingSummary:school places during the academic year whilst enabling theAuthority to manage its statutory duty of co-ordinating in-yearadmissions.Recommendations:Reasons forRecommendations:Links to Prioritiesand Impact onService Plans:FinancialImplications:EqualitiesImplications:It is recommended that from the 1 st January 2012 schoolsare able to give parents application forms and once a placehas been allocated, send an acceptance letter on behalf ofthe Local Authority in accordance with the process set outin Appendix A.Somerset schools have requested that the current system ischanged as the head teachers feel it is important to buildrelationships with parents from an early stage.• Invest in new schools, ensuring high quality school places andthe improved condition of school facilities;• Actively support increased educational attainment,achievement and improved outcomes;Currently forms are sent out by Somerset Direct and the lettersare sent by the Authority. Although this work is very quick andsimple, due to the volume we estimate that there should be asaving of £5,000 per year. Admissions are funded from theschools budget.The new process will enable pupils to attend schools morequickly when they move into an area. This is thereforebeneficial. The Authority records and monitors the number ofchildren who move schools in-year and has the following data:Free school meals, SEN and English as a second language.If it appears that the process is adversely affecting any of thesegroups the Authority, through the escalation procedure and themeetings with the head teacher, will intervene.2 of 12
(Cabinet Member Decision – 4 January 2012)The Authority remains statutorily responsible for in-yearadmissions and therefore the Authority must ensure that schoolsact in accordance with the agreements. To ensure this happensthe schools, through the ‘Compact’ have agreed to an escalationprocedure which will improve systems in schools where they donot meet the Admissions Code.Risk Assessment:ScrutinyRecommendation(if any):The Authority has less sight of parents who are moving pupils inyear which may lead to more children missing from education.To ensure that this does not happen, schools will keep a registerof all pupils that request an application form.Parents may not know their rights. To ensure that parents haveaccess to their rights the Authority will maintain its website anduse Somerset Direct to advise parents. Somerset CountyCouncil will also send out the refusal letters outlining the appealsprocedure.N/A1. Background1.1. The current Admissions Code introduced central Local Authority co-ordination ofin-year admissions in September 2010, which moved the administration of inyearadmissions from Somerset schools to the Local Authority. Although this hasproved beneficial to the Local Authority in terms of tracking and monitoring pupilmovement, especially vulnerable children, it did also remove an important linkbetween schools and parents. These proposals seek to re-establish this link.2. Options Considered2.1. Until September 2013 in-year admissions remain the responsibility of the localauthority, however head teachers have asked through the Compact if theprocess could be changed to allow schools to play a greater role in the in-yearadmissions process. As a local authority we can see the advantages ofdelegating parts of the process to governing bodies as it will strengthen therelationship between schools and parents.2.2. The Admissions Code is statutory guidance on the local authority and therefore ifgoverning bodies accept the additional delegation there must be simple recordsheld within the school which the authority can check to make sure that theprocesses followed within the school are as agreed and in line with the Code ofPractice.In order to help governors ensure that the admissions process is being followedcorrectly, if the authority becomes aware of any concerns about admissionpractices at a particular school then, in the first instance, we will write to headteachers and copy to the Chair of Governors. This will enable schools to takeaction to ensure the code is met.2.3. The process for In Year Admissions is set out in Appendix A and in principle,3 of 12
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In Year School Admissions - Somerset County Council

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