Co-ordinated Admission Arrangements for 2005/6
Determination of Primary and Secondary Co-ordinated Admission Schemes for September 2005 Admission Round
1. Purpose
1.1 This report is provided in accordance with the annual statutory requirement to seek approval from Elected Members on the LEA’s proposed arrangements for admissions following consultation with neighbouring admission authorities. This report is submitted to request approval of the proposed schemes for co-ordinating primary and secondary pupil admissions across all Sheffield Schools from September 2005. A separate Cabinet report will be submitted to Members in early February to seek approval for the LEA’s proposed admission arrangements for community schools for that year of entry.
1.2 The Education Act 2002 requires all Local Education Authorities to formulate a co-ordinated admissions scheme (“a qualifying Scheme”) for each primary and secondary (but not Special School) school in their area. The duty to formulate such schemes applies in relation to the 2005/06 academic year. A recent amendment from the Government allows LEA’s to delay primary co-ordinated schemes until September 2006. Sheffield LEA plans to implement a scheme from September 2005.
1.3 There are separate schemes for primary and secondary admissions as there are some aspects of the schemes that are different. Key differences between the schemes are explained in Sections 3 and 4 below.
1.4 Local Education Authorities are required to formulate co-ordinated schemes following which they must consult on them. The schemes finally determined by the LEA must be adopted by all admission authorities in the area by 15 April in the determination year failing which the Secretary of State may impose a scheme.
1.5 The proposed schemes cover all maintained schools within the Sheffield area, including Foundation and Voluntary Aided Schools the Governing Bodies of which are the admission authorities for admissions to those schools.
1.6 The co-ordinated schemes establish administrative procedures by which the Local Education Authority will manage admissions to provide an easier more equitable service for parents. The schemes do not affect the right of individual admission authorities to determine and apply their own admission criteria. The LEA will still determine admission policy for all Community Schools as will the Governing Bodies of Voluntary Aided and Foundation Schools.
1.7 Co-ordinated schemes will normally determine a single offer of a school place. For Sheffield parents applying for a Sheffield and Derbyshire school it may be possible that they receive an offer from each as Derbyshire will not be operating a cross-border scheme. Every effort will be made by Sheffield and Derbyshire to try and achieve one offer.
2. Co-ordinated Admission Schemes
2.1 The purpose of fully co-ordinated schemes is to establish a mechanism that will ensure that every parent of a child living in the LEA area who has applied for a school place in the normal admissions round receives an offer of one school place on the same day.
2.2 One of the main reasons for the co-ordinated admission requirements is to ensure that parents and children are not disadvantaged by a multiple admissions process, whereby places can effectively be held for more than one school. Whilst this situation arises predominantly in the London area because of the number of LEAs and cross border applications, it does also happen within Sheffield South Yorkshire and Derbyshire.
2.3 Under existing arrangements parents may receive multiple offers if they apply to separate Admission Authorities (Voluntary Aided School, cross border or Sheffield Community Schools). In these circumstance parents may be holding places they will not be taking up, at the expense of other parents who do want a place at the school. These arrangements will ensure that all parents are treated equally.
3. Requirements of the Primary Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme
3.1 Regulations do not require applications for primary schools to be fully co-ordinated across borders as described for Secondary Schools below. However LEA’s are obliged to operate a scheme for primary admissions within their own area from 2006/07 This will still ensure a single offer where no cross border applications are made. The Scheme will come into effect for the September 2005 admission round.
3.2 Sheffield LEA’s scheme proposes a maximum of 3 preferences. Preferences must be ranked.
3.3 In order to provide every parent with an offer of one place the Authority will be working collaboratively with the Governing Bodies of Voluntary Aided Schools and Broomhill Infant Foundation School.
3.4 Sheffield Education Authority will be the only body to offer places at Sheffield Primary schools during the normal admissions round or at any other time. Parents apply to the LEA in which the school is situated to express a preference for a school in that area.
3.5 Closing Date for Applications for Reception
The proposed closing date for applications for Reception is 31 January preceding the year of entry. This is earlier than that currently operated for community schools of 1 March. The earlier date is required in order to allow time for the co-ordinating exercise between the different Admission Authorities
3.6 Closing Date for Applications for Year 3
The proposed closing date for applications for Year 3 is 30 November preceding the year of entry. The earlier date is required in order to allow sufficient time for applications to be processed. Operating the same closing date as for Reception applications would leave insufficient administrative time prior to the allocation date.
3.7 Allocation Date
Unlike the secondary scheme, there is no single nationally prescribed allocation date. The LEA is expected however to agree a single allocation date between Admission Authorities in its area. The proposed allocation date for Reception and Year 3 in this scheme is 1 April preceding the year of entry. The LEA normally allocated places mid April. Voluntary Aided Schools and the Foundation School allocate at different dates at present.
3.8 Common Application Form
· LEA’s must enable parents of children living in a LEA’s area to apply for any maintained school by means of a common application form (for each area covered by a scheme). They should be asked to express a minimum of 3 preferences, and be able to give reasons for these preferences.
Existing arrangements only make provision for one preference.
· Parents must be provided with the opportunity to rank their preferences,
3.9 LEA’s must ensure that all offers of a school place in the child’s home LEA are sent to the parent by the LEA, not the school.
Whilst there is not a statutory duty to operate a cross border co-ordinated scheme for primary admissions, there is however a requirement to reach agreement on a scheme within Sheffield between all primary admission authorities with effect from September 2005.
3.10 The full primary scheme is appended at Appendix 1.
4. Requirements of the Secondary Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme
4.1 The purpose of a fully co-ordinated secondary scheme is to establish a mechanism that will ensure that every parent of a child living in the LEA area who has applied for a secondary school place in the normal admissions round receives an offer of one and only one school place on the same day. The scheme will come into effect for the September 2005 admission round.
4.2 The co-ordinated scheme is an administrative process to make admission to school easier, more transparent and less stressful for parents
4.3 There is a requirement to allow parents to make at least 3 preferences on a common application form. Sheffield LEA’s scheme proposes a maximum of 3 preferences which are ranked.
4.4 In order to provide every parent with an offer of one place the Authority will be working collaboratively with the Governing Bodies of All Saints and Notre Dame Catholic Schools, neighbouring Local Education Authorities and the Governing Bodies of any other school, which is its own admission authority, for which the Authority receives an application.
4.4 Parents apply to their home LEA irrespective of where their preferred schools are situated.
4.5 Sheffield Education Authority will normally be the only body to offer a Sheffield resident a single place at any secondary school during the normal admissions round or at any other time. If however a parent also applies for a Derbyshire school, they may receive an offer direct from Derbyshire as they will not be operating a cross-border co-ordinated scheme. Derbyshire have not finalised their scheme at the time of writing and every effort will be made to secure agreement to make a single offer for Sheffield residents.
4.6 Closing Date for Applications to Year 7
The proposed closing date for applications is 22 October 2004. The Regulations specify that the co-ordinated schemes must operate the same closing date. This is slightly earlier than in previous years and is the date that all South Yorkshire Authorities reached agreement on.
4.7 Allocation Date
Unlike the primary scheme, there is a national allocation date for entry to Year 7.The offer of a single place to a parent will be made on the national offer day of 1 March preceding the year of entry. I.e. 1 March 2005 for entry in September 2005. All Saints and Notre Dame normally allocate places mid-January. Sheffield LEA normally allocates places at the beginning of February. The new national allocation date is therefore later and will first come into effect on 1 March 2005.
4.8 The full secondary scheme is appended at Appendix 2.
5. The Consultation Process
5.1 Both proposed schemes were consulted upon between 8 September and 17 October 2003. Consultation took place with:
§ Headteachers and Governors of all Sheffield Community Schools
§ Headteachers and Governors of All Saints and Notre Dame Catholic High Schools, and Voluntary Aided Primary Schools
§ The Headteacher and Chair of Governors of Broomhill Infant (Foundation) School
§ Barnsley Education Authority
§ Derbyshire Education Authority
§ Rotherham Education Authority
§ The Admission Forum
§ Additionally the schemes have been presented to Primary and Secondary Headteacher representative groups.
5.2 Responses to the consultation process
There have been nine responses received, five from community primary schools, three from community secondary schools and one from Broomhill Infant (Foundation School). Some of these responses make reference to LEA admission policy and are not relevant to the consultation on the proposed co-ordinated schemes. Responses that are specifically in response to the proposed schemes are appended at Appendix 3.
6. Timescale for Formulating the Schemes
6.1 The timescale for consultation and agreement of the schemes is as follows:
|
September / October 2003 |
Consultation with Community, Voluntary Aided, Foundation Schools and neighbouring Authorities |
|
November 2003 |
Presentation of consultation exercise to Admission Forum for final consideration of schemes. The LEA must have regard to any advice or recommendations of the Forum. [
|
|
December 2003 |
Determination of co-ordinated schemes by Cabinet and recommendation to Council in January |
|
January 2004 – March 2004 |
Adoption of schemes by neighbouring Authorities (secondary only) and by Voluntary Aided schools |
6.2 If local admission authorities do not agree co-ordinated schemes and notify the Secretary of State of those schemes by 15 April 2005, he will impose a scheme on the LEA.
7. Equal Opportunities
7.1 Under current arrangements, parents are notified of the outcome of their application at different times, dependant on whether they have applied for a community, voluntary aided, Foundation or other Authority school. Parents can also make multiple applications to separate admission authorities and receive multiple offers.
7.2 Implementation of co-ordinated schemes will ensure that all parents in Sheffield are notified of the outcome of their applications on the same day. The schemes will also ensure that each parent receives a single offer of a place. This will result in a fairer system, treating all parents equally.
7.3 The Authority is however keen to ensure that vulnerable children are not disadvantaged as a result of any possible confusion due to the change to the admissions procedures. The LEA will be pro-active in holding form-filling surgeries in communities and schools and will monitor the return of applications.
8. Financial Implications
8.1 Whilst there will be an increased administrative burden on the LEA it is expected that these will be met from within existing resources, though the impact will be closely monitored. There are no additional financial implications to this report.
9. Conclusion
9.1 Whilst the operation of co-ordinated schemes will place an additional administrative burden on the LEA, the schemes are a positive step in supporting parents through what can be a complicated process. Parents will now be required to complete a single application form on which they can express up to three preferences. Under current arrangements parents have to make separate applications and enquiries if they wish to apply for voluntary aided, foundation or other authority schools. The schemes will remove this burden, and place the responsibility with the LEA.
9.2 In light of the recent green paper “Every Child Matters”, the schemes will assist the LEA in tracking pupil movement. Whereas under the current arrangements parents may have applied out of City without informing the LEA, the schemes will ensure that the destination of each Sheffield pupil will be known to the LEA.
9.3 It is anticipated that the proposed co-ordinated schemes will contribute to providing a more transparent less stressful procedure for parents and pupils. The LEA already has an excellent record in complying with parental preferences with an average of 94% and 98% of parents receiving places at their preferred secondary and primary school respectively.
10. Recommendations
Members are requested to:
10.1 Consider the proposed co-ordinated admission schemes for primary and secondary school for the September 2005 admission round,
10.2 Determine and adopt the Primary and Secondary co-ordinated admission schemes and give authority to the Executive Director (Education) to secure their adoption by the other admission authorities in Sheffield, and to take any necessary further action to implement the schemes
Jonathan Crossley-Holland
Executive Director: Education
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Co-ordinated Admission Primary Scheme Front Cover.
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Co-ordinated Admission Secondary Front Cover.
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Co-ordinated Primary Admission Scheme.
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Co-ordinated Secondary Admission Scheme.
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Appendix 3 Co-ordinated Admission Scheme.
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