School Admission Forum

Admission Forums provide a vehicle for admission authorities and other key interested parties to get together. They can discuss the effectiveness of local admission arrangements, seek arrangements on how to deal with difficult admission issues and advise admission authorities on ways in which their arrangements can be improved.

Admission authorities must have regard to any advice given by the forum for their area.

The role of the forum is to:

• Consider how well existing and proposed admission arrangements serve the interests of children and parents within the area of authority.
• Promote agreement on admission issues.
• Consider the comprehensiveness and accessibility of the admission literature and information for parents, produced by each admission authority within the area of the forum.
• Consider the effectiveness of the council's proposed co-ordinated admission arrangements.
• Consider the means by which admissions processes might be improved and how actual admissions relate to the admission numbers published.
• Monitor the admission of children who arrive in the authority's area outside a normal admission round with a view to promoting arrangements for the fair distribution of such children among local schools, taking account of any preference expressed in accordance with arrangements made under Section 86 (1) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.
• Promote the arrangements for children with special educational needs, looked after children and children who have been excluded from school.
• Consider any other admissions issues arising.

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