EDUCATION, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND
LIFELONG LEARNING SELECT COMMITTEE – 19 MAY 2003
The
Isle of Wight Admissions Forum and timetable for admissions for September 2004
STRATEGIC
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
REASON FOR SELECT COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
The Education Act 2002 requires LEAs to establish Admissions Forums to co-ordinate admissions arrangements in their areas. This task has had to be undertaken at very short notice. The purpose of this report is to inform members of developments that have taken place to date and also bring to their attention the changes to the admissions timetable for September 2004.
ACTION REQUIRED BY THE SELECT COMMITTEE
The
Select Committee is asked to note the establishment of the Isle of Wight
Admissions Forum, the future role it is likely to play in securing co-ordinated
admissions arrangements for the Island and the changes to the admissions
timetable for pupils due to enter or transfer school in September 2004.
BACKGROUND
1.
Following a review of
school admissions arrangements for England, the government introduced
legislation earlier in the year which aims to ensure that every child, who is
due to either enter or transfer school the following year, receives the offer
of a school place. This was in response to a large number of complaints made
from parents, many living in urban areas, that the current system was not
working. In London and the Home Counties many children have received multiple
offers of school places whilst others have received none. The large number of
schools in these areas which consider their own applications for admission has
been a major contributory factor. This has not been the case on the Island
where the close links which exist between the LEA, the two dioceses and the
church-aided primary and middle schools ensure that admissions arrangements
work efficiently and effectively.
2.
The Education Act 2002
required LEAs to establish Admissions Forums within two months of the
regulations which came into force at the end of January 2003. The recently
published Admissions Code of Practice states that ‘Admissions Forums provide a
vehicle for admission authorities and other key interested parties to:
·
Get together to discuss
the effectiveness of local admissions arrangements.
·
Seek agreements on how
to deal with difficult admission issues and advise admission authorities on
ways in which their arrangements can be improved.
2.1 Admission authorities must have regard to
advice given by the Forum for their area’.
Membership of an Admissions Forum must comprise representatives from the
LEA, Schools (Community, controlled and voluntary aided), the Church of England
and Catholic Dioceses, parent governors (from the Education Select Committee)
and the local community. During February and March nominations from these
groups were sought and appointments made.
3.
The Isle of Wight
Admissions Forum met for the first time on 2 April 2003. Mr Matt Atkins was elected Chair and Ms
Jackie Boxx Vice-Chair. Items discussed
included: Current admission arrangements on the Island and how well they are
working, changes to admission arrangements as a result of the Education Act
2002, bringing forward the admissions timetable for September 2004 and future
literature to be supplied to parents.
The next meeting of the Admissions Forum is scheduled to take place on
26 June 2003 at County Hall, Newport.
4. Members may wish to note that, following
discussion with the Admissions Forum and Headteacher Groups, the admissions
timetable for September 2004 is being brought forward by two months to ensure
that the requirements of the Education Act 2002 and New Admissions Code of
Practice are met. From September 2005
admissions the LEA will be required to publish and co-ordinate admissions
arrangements for the whole of the Island, including those for church-aided
schools. Parents will then apply to the LEA for a place at any Island
maintained school using a common application form. This is a departure from
current practice where, if parents wish their child to attend a church aided
school, they apply direct to that school.
Aided schools will, however, still be responsible for the allocation of
places using their published admissions criteria.
4.1 For
admissions in September 2004 parents will still apply direct to the
church-aided primary and middle schools on the Island. There will be a national offer day in England
of 1 March each year (two weeks earlier than is operated at present) when
letters will be posted by LEAs to the parents of every child confirming the school where a place has been reserved
for the following September. To
accommodate these changes and to ensure the new system is introduced smoothly
in 2005 the following timetable will apply to children who are either due to
enter primary school or transfer to middle or high school for September 2004:
·
Admissions application
forms and literature to be sent to parents - early October 2003
·
Closing date for
parents to return their application forms to the Admissions Office at County
Hall or direct to the school if the school concerned is a church-aided school
- 28 November 2003 (Previously this has been 31 January)
·
Letters posted to
parents notifying them of the school where a place has been reserved - 1 March 2004.
A full publicity campaign using the
local media and in pre schools, supermarkets, doctors’ surgeries, post offices
etc will take place during the early part of the autumn term 2003 to raise
parents’ awareness.
RELEVANT PLANS, POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
The
LEA, as admissions authority for all community and controlled schools on the
Island, must have regard to comments made by the Admissions Forum. However, any proposed changes to its
admissions policy must still be agreed by the Council’s Executive
Committee. As part of the new
co-ordinated admissions scheme, which must be in place for September 2005
admissions, the LEA must produce a policy statement for consideration by the
Admissions Forum. This must then be
sent to the Department for Education & Skills for approval. It is anticipated that a draft of the policy
statement will be available in December 2003.
CONSULTATION PROCESS
Admissions
Forums are mandatory requirements under the law and so no consultation took
place concerning the establishment of the Forum for the Isle of Wight. However, consultation over membership was
undertaken with schools, dioceses, elected members etc.
FINANCIAL, LEGAL, CRIME AND DISORDER IMPLICATIONS
There are no major financial implications in this case although the cost of holding meetings at County Hall and the paperwork for Agendas etc will be borne by the Council. Clerking of the Admissions Forum will be undertaken by the Client Services Section of the Education & Community Development Directorate within its existing staffing budget.
Minutes
of the first meeting of the Isle of Wight Admissions Forum held on 2 April 2003
are attached.
BACKGROUND PAPERS USED IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS REPORT
·
Education Act 2002
·
2002 Admissions Code of
Practice
·
Minutes of the meeting
of the Admissions Forum, which took place on 2 April 2003.
Contact Point: Mark Goswell, Education Officer, Client Services. Telephone: 823494. E-mail: [email protected]
David Pettitt
Director of Education and Community Development