PRESENT: -
Elected Members: -
Councillors
Davison, Eckhardt, Mrs Simpson, Waltham and Whiteley.
Community/Voluntary
Aided Schools Representatives: -
Mrs
M Travers, Mrs
C Tong, Mrs S Bond and Mr R Marshall.
School's
Representatives
Mrs
C Riches (Enderby Road Infant)
Parent
Governor Representatives: -
Mrs
A Dunkerley and Mr P Bacon.
Early
Years Representative
Mrs S Collinson, Mrs A Hume (to replace Mrs S Collinson as representative)
S Piper, M Windle, B McIntyre and A Dawson also attended the meeting.
The Forum met at Pittwood House, Scunthorpe.
142 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE - Apologies for absence were received
from Mr D Clements and Mrs J Barnes.
SCHOOL'S
APOLOGIES - Apologies
for absence were received from the following schools: -
-
South
Axholme Community
-
Vale
of Ancholme Technology College
Mr
S Morris (representing Vale of Ancholme Technology College) had tendered his
resignation from the forum due to feeling unable dedicate time and effort to
the forum owing to work commitments.
143 DECLARATIONS OF PERSONAL OR PERSONAL AND PREJUDICIAL INTERESTS
- There were no declarations of personal and prejudicial interests.
144 MINUTES - Resolved - That the minutes of the proceedings
of the meeting held on 25 November 2008, having been printed and circulated
amongst the members, be taken as read and correctly recorded and be signed by
the chair.
145 SCHOOL ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2010/11 -
The Service Director Children, Strategy and Partnerships submitted a report
detailing school admission arrangements for the academic year 2010/11.
The
local authority was required to determine its admission arrangements for September
2009 onwards and publish admission numbers for each community maintained school
by 15 April 2009.
New
regulations effective from 31 December 2008 prescribed that consultation should
be undertaken in an eight-week period between 1 November to 1 March. It
was difficult to meet the regulations in terms of consultation with governing
bodies as many governing body meetings were scheduled to fall outside of whatever
eight-week period was chosen. Consequently, the council intended to continue
with the existing process of providing information to the regular governing
body meeting during the autumn term, but during the eight-week period, to write
to each chair of governors to enable the formal consultation to be undertaken.
There
was one proposed change for 2010/11 in the council's consultation with
various groups. In respect of Primary Schools, parents were to be invited
to express a preference for up to three schools (currently parents expressed
a preference for one school), the change was as a result of statutory legislation.
Consultation
was currently ongoing with regard to Foxhills Technology College's admission
number. An admission number of 160 was agreed for the college for 2009/10.
However, it was recognised that for 2010/11 this number would not be sufficient
for the anticipated cohort of pupils transferring during the year. Following
discussion with the council, an admission number of 185 had been agreed.
As this number was lower than the 'indicated minimum admission number'
a public notice had been issued to ensure correct consultation took place.
Resolved
- (a)
That the report be noted, and (b) that the clerks to the governing bodies be
asked to minute the decision in relation to consultation with each governing
body accurately, in order to give the chair of governors authority to act on
behalf of the governing body.
146 CHOICE ADVISER - The Service Director Children, Strategy
and Partnerships submitted a report updating forum members on the role of the
Choice Adviser.
In
2007/08 the Department for Children, Schools and Families made available funding
for council's to provide a Choice Adviser, the funding had been continued
to 2010/11. The aim of the Choice Adviser was to help families optimise
their school choices using all the information to hand and use of local knowledge
of what individual schools have to offer, to ensure parents were more likely
to get the best place for their child.
The
Choice Adviser would not take decisions for parents and could not guarantee
a place at a particular school.
Over
the last two years the work of the Choice Adviser had been fulfilled by officers
in the admission team. However, there was a requirement that the Choice
Adviser be independent of the admission team and be managed outside of the structure
in which the admission team were managed.
The
role of Choice Adviser was to be undertaken by an existing employee who was
based within the Student Support team; at present there was no intention to
appoint an additional person to the role, although the situation would be monitored
with regard to demand for the service.
Clarification
was sought on how the decision of appointing the Choice Adviser had been reached.
Resolved
- (a)
That further information on the appointment of the Choice Adviser be
brought back to the next meeting, and (b) that further reports on the progress
of the work of the Choice Adviser be submitted to the forum.
147 SCHOOL ADMISSION CODE - The Service Director
Children, Strategy and Partnerships submitted a report detailing elements of
the revised School Admissions Code.
The
Department for Children, Schools and Families consulted on a new School Admissions
Code in September 2008, the purpose of the new Code was to strengthen the admissions
process to ensure that all schools fully complied with the law on school admissions.
The new Code came into effect in February 2009.
The
report gave details of new elements in the revised code, as well as information
on co-ordinated admission schemes. The council currently had in place
part co-ordination but was required to move to full co-ordination by 2011/12.
Resolved
- (a) That the new requirements for the admissions process be noted,
and (b) that information on the council's co-ordinated scheme be brought
to the next meeting.
148 ROLE OF THE FORUM - The School Admissions (Local Authority
Reports and Admission Forums) (England) Regulations 2008 defined the role of
the Admissions Forum.
The
role of the forum was to consider and advise on the fairness of admission arrangements
for schools in the relevant area, and in particular:
-
The
extent to which the current admission arrangements in the relevant area
served the interests of children in care, children with disabilities and
children with special educational needs
-
The
effectiveness of any fair access protocol in place in the relevant area
-
The
effectiveness of any scheme for co-ordinating admission arrangements made
in the relevant area and any adjoining local authority area
-
Details
of any other matters which affected the fair operation of admission arrangements
for relevant schools in the relevant area.
A
forum must circulate their advice and recommendations to all admission authorities,
maintained schools, and Academies within the relevant area, and must make that
advice available to any other persons with an interest.
Resolved
- That
the role of the forum in respect of fulfilling their duties be noted.
149
ADMISSIONS
FORUM NEW ARRANGEMENT - The
Service Director, Children, Strategy and Partnerships submitted a report informing
members of changes following the publication of the new School Admissions (Local
Authority Reports and Admissions Forum) (England) Regulations 2008, and describing
how the forum could be reconstituted in order to meet the new requirements.
Department
of Children, Schools and Families consultation on changes to the membership
of Admission Forums had now concluded and outcomes published, these came into
effect on 10 February 2009.
Changes
had been made to categories of membership. Under the new regulations membership
was limited to a maximum of 20 and the categories of membership were as follows:
- Schools - at least one member each representing community schools, voluntary
controlled schools, voluntary aided schools, foundation schools, academies,
and city technology colleges (where there were such schools within the local
authority)
- One representative from each body or person representing the religion or
religious denomination of any foundation or voluntary schools or academies
- At least one parent member
- At least one person who appeared to represent the interests of the community
in the relevant area who was not eligible under the above criteria
Members
who fell under category d. had to be appointed following a recommendation by
the members appointed under categories a. to c. This category existed
under the previous regulations and there were currently two members, one representing
Ethnic Minority groups and one representing pre school age children.
The
previous regulations also had a membership category 'at least one and
not more than five who were members of the authority', under that heading
there were currently five elected members. The new regulations did not
include the category.
The
forum had to consider whether elected members could be added to the category
of 'community representatives', which would require the withdrawal
of all members who currently, or potentially fell under that category.
At
this point, all community representatives left the meeting.
The
forum agreed that elected members could be included under the 'community
representatives' category, and that five elected members be appointed.
All
community representatives returned to the meeting.
There
were currently two vacancies for Community Schools representatives, Mrs C Riches,
Headteacher of Enderby Road Infant School, had previously been attending as
a school representative, and had expressed an interest in becoming a core member.
A further representative was to be sought from governors, in liaison with Helen
Hornsby in the Governors Bodies.
Resolved
- (a) That members be appointed to the forum as per the report and
accompanying appendices, (b) that five elected members be appointed under the
'community representatives' category, (c) that Mrs Riches be formally
appointed as a Community Schools representative, (d) that expressions of interest
for a further Community Schools member be sought via the Governors Association,
in conjunction with the Governing Bodies team, and (e) that the forum constitution
and standing orders be amended to reflect the changes.
150 DATE AND TIME OF FUTURE MEETINGS - Resolved - That the
next meeting of the forum be held on Tuesday 20 October 2009, and will take
place at 9.30 am in the Function Room 1, Pittwood House.