School Admissions Annual Consultation 2010

1. School Admissions Annual Consultation 2010 Presented by: Jayne Gorton Monday 1 February 2010 www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

2. Topics covered • Background to consultation • How to have your say • In-Year admissions • Normal point of entry • Question time www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

3. Background on Consultation • All school admission authorities are required to consult on their admission arrangements • We are consulting: all maintained schools in Plymouth, pre-schools in Plymouth, parents, local community groups, neighbouring local authorities, schools in neighbouring areas, the local Admission Forum, Church of England (CE) and Roman Catholic (RC) Diocesan Directors of Education, City Councillors and Members of Parliament, trade unions and relevant Trusts and Associations • The consultation period - at least eight weeks - completion by 1 March • Admission arrangements determined by 15 April • The consultation is based on the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) School Admissions Code of Practice. www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

4. Your Say How to respond to the consultation: Written comments to School Admissions Consultation (ref JEP), or by email (see website for details). Your comments must be received by 28 February 2010 as the consultation will close on this date. What happens after the consultation ends? Having taken into account any responses to the consultation, admission authorities must set their arrangements for by 15 April 2010 and then, within 14 days, notify those they consulted of the new arrangements. In setting their admission arrangements, authorities must 'act in accordance with the School Admissions and Appeals Codes (Education and Inspections Act 2006)'. Once set, objections to arrangements can be made to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator. Once arrangements have been made, they will be published on our school admissions page. www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

5. Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme for In-Year admissions Overview of Main Changes: • ALL in-year requests (yr R – 11) to be made through the LA using the Common Application Form (CAF) – available online/paper copy • Applicants to VA, Foundation & Trust schools must complete the CAF but schools may also wish to use a supplementary information form (SIF) • Applications must be made to the LA where the applicant is resident • Number on Roll (NoR) MUST be provided to the LA on a regular basis • The LA must immediately be alerted of leavers. www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

6. In-Year Common Application Form (CAF) • Must be returned to the LA, not the school applied for • Applications received by schools must be sent to the LA without delay • If a parent/carer approaches a school they should be referred to the LA (even where there are vacancies) • Applications will be accepted no more than 6 school weeks before school place is required • Applicants will be expected to take up a place offered within 2 weeks of allocation. www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

7. In-Year Allocation of School Places When a CAF is received, the request will be determined as either: • standard admission request (Most requests received will be assessed under the standard admission procedure. Applications considered up to PAN or other agreed limit. Children in care will be admitted to the designated area school even if above PAN or other agreed limit - without compromising RICS). • fair access assessed request (PAN +3% without compromising RICS) iii)reintegration request via Placement Panel (managed moves, permanent exclusions (and not reinstated there at an appeal), those for whom an education setting has not been agreed and where the school Admissions Team has been unable to allocate a place via the Standard or Assessed Admission procedures, those seeking reintegration from PTS into a mainstream school. www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

8. In-Year – Assessed Admission Request Fair Access Protocol: • Applicants for admission to Year 11 of a mainstream school; • Children known to the police or other agencies; • Children of refugees and asylum seekers; • Children of UK Service personnel and other Crown Servants. • Children returning from the criminal justice system; • Children who are carers; • Children out of education for longer than one school term (based on a 3 term year); • Children who have English as an additional language; • Children whose parents have been unable to find them a place after moving to the area, because of a shortage of places; • Children with disabilities or medical conditions; • Children with special educational needs (but without a statement); • Children with unsupportive family backgrounds, where a place has not been sought; • Children withdrawn from schools by their family, following fixed term exclusions and unable to find another place; • Children without a school place and with a history of serious attendance problems i.e. 80% or below; • Homeless children; • Traveller children. www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

9. In-Year – Assessed Admission Request Applications will be considered for the requested school(s) up to PAN (or other agreed limit) for the relevant year plus 3% (rounded to the nearest whole figure where the minimum is 1) as long as RICS not compromised Schools will not be asked to go over PAN/other agreed number if: • the child already has a place at a school within a reasonable distance of home • has voluntarily given up a school place in order to seek a place under this scheme • is moving from a fee paying school • is moving from elective home education • where the school is in special measures or serious weakness (or have been within the previous 2 years) or has national challenge status. www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

10. In-Year Admissions to Y11 • Year 11 applicants allocated as for all other year groups until end of term 2 in December • School to decide which year group most appropriate for pupil (e.g. chronological year 11 child placed in year 10 • At the end of term 2 in December, children will be referred to the Inclusion Manager for initial placement at Plymouth Tuition Service (PTS/ Short Stay Schools). In consultation with parents/carers etc, PTS to decide most suitable placement for rest of the academic year; PTS to educate if school not considered appropriate. www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

11. In-Year reintegration request Pupils who have been determined as vulnerable (considered under Fair Access Protocol) to be referred to the Primary or Secondary Placement Panels are those: • for whom a managed move from one school to another is considered appropriate • who have been permanently excluded from a school (and not reinstated there at an appeal) • for whom an educational setting has not been agreed & where the School Admissions Team has been unable to place via procedures • who are seeking re-integration from PTS into a mainstream school. www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

12. In-Year Requests for Transfer of School A request for a change of school can be made at any time during the year but a change will not normally take place until the beginning of term 1 in September, term 3 in January or term 5 in April unless: • moved to a new address/catchment • significant medical or social reasons • child taken into care • request is accepted as a reintegration request. www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

13. In-Year Offers in response to the CAF • All requests will be dealt with within 20 school days • LA will allocate a school place based on NOR - the school’s ability to match academic options selected by the pupil cannot influence whether a place may be offered • Own admission authority schools must submit a ranked list of applicants to be considered for admission • The LA shall inform each school of the pupils to be allocated / refused places within 20 days • Allocation letters are to be sent by the City Council, not individual schools RESPONSIBILITY OF PARENTS/CARERS: • MUST notify acceptance of the date of the allocation notification within 2 weeks Failure to notify acceptance may result in withdrawal of place offered • Will be given the right to make an appeal. www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

14. In-Year Waiting Lists • Each admission authority will maintain waiting lists & re-allocate places that may become available • Lists kept in order of the oversubscription criteria • Each admission authority must maintain a waiting list for at least one term in the academic year of admission, for every oversubscribed school • Admission authorities advised to contact parents on a termly basis asking if they wish their child to remain on the waiting list/s • NB: Community/voluntary controlled schools - If you currently hold waiting lists, please write to parents telling them that these will be terminated from the end of the academic year 2010. If parents wish to add their child to the waiting list held by the LA (from September 2010), you should advise them to contact us directly. www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

15. Timetable for In-Year admissions to Plymouth schools

16. In-Year Oversubscription Criteria In the event that a community or voluntary controlled is over-subscribed, the following criteria in order of priority will be applied: • A child in the care of a local authority; • Those moving to or within the City to live in the school’s designated area who are without an appropriate school placement or where a designated area does not apply, those living closest to the school by straight line measurement; • Those seeking to transfer between schools within the City where the parent and both Head teachers agree that such a transfer would be in the pupil’s best educational or social interests; • Those not moving to the school’s designated who are without a school placement or where a designated area does not apply, those living closest to the school by straight line measurement; • Those seeking to transfer between schools as a parental response to perceived difficulties with the present school, or for other parental reasons; • All other applicants. www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

17. Exceptions: • a child whose Special Educational Needs (SEN) Statement names the school will be admitted to that school; • on exceptional medical or social grounds, such as: • a serious medical condition, which can be supported by medical evidence; • the recent death of a parent; • a significant caring role for the child which can be supported by evidence from Social Services. Parents/carers or their representative will have to demonstrate that only the preferred school can meet the exceptional medical or social needs of the child. This can be in the form of a testimony from a medical practitioner, social worker or other professional who can support the application on an ‘exceptional’ basis. • where a child requires admission to a designated special needs centre or other specialist provision attached to the school • where a child meets the criteria of the Fair Access Protocol • where it's necessary to meet the requirements of a school's Trust Deed. Tie-breaker = multiple birth, sibling, distance www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

18. Main Changes - Normal Point of Entry 2011/2012 • Raise the priority of families of multiple birth (to include those born within the same cohort year) above siblings • In respect of primary schools, to move to a single point of entry in September • Parents be permitted to request that their child attend primary school on a part time basis until compulsory school age • Hyde Park Junior School become a linked feeder school to Coombe Dean School • Remove designated catchment areas for community secondary schools and colleges • In respect of nursery school admissions, that parents be permitted to request that their child attend on a full time basis until compulsory school age • Published Admission Numbers - amendments for Sir John Hunt Community School • In respect of nursery schools that PAN's be reviewed in the light of the new funding arrangements which come into force in April 2010 and net capacity assessments. www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

19. Timetable for admissions to Year R in an Infant, Primary or Junior school www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

20. Timetable for admissions to Year 7 in a Secondary school www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation

21. Your Questions www.plymouth.gov.uk/annualconsultation