Decision - Admissions Arrangements for Brighton & Hove Schools 2013/14

To set out the proposed admission arrangements for community schools for 20013/14 and proposed admission numbers for all maintained schools in the City.

To set out the revised schemes for co-ordinated admissions, including key dates, and also the background to consultation with Voluntary Aided schools on their admission arrangements.

Recommended to Full Council:

(1)               That the proposed school admission numbers set out in the consultation documents be adopted for the admissions year 2013/14, with the exception of Portslade Infant School which it is proposed will become a primary school with an admission number of 60, and St Nicolas’ CE Junior School which it is proposed will admit 60 reception children in addition to the 64 year 3 children proposed. Both of these proposed changes are currently going through the statutory processes in order to take effect in September 2013;

(2)               That the admission priorities for Community Schools set out in the Consultation documents be adopted for all age groups, with the amendments set out below;

(3)               That priority 1 (Children in the Care of a local authority) should be extended to include ‘children who were looked after, but ceased to be so because they were adopted (or became subject to a residence order or special guardianship order);

(4)               That the proposal to alter the boundary between the catchment areas for Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA) and Blatchington Mill/Hove Park be adopted so that the shaded area on Map 4 of the consultation documents be included in the catchment area for PACA and not the catchment area for Blatchington Mill/Hove Park; and

(5)               That the proposal to amend the sibling link so that it only applies within catchment area be adopted, but that the protection for those living in areas which have changed catchment area be adopted as described in the consultation document.

Resolved:

(6)               That the proposed change to the method of measuring distance for Infant, Junior and Primary Schools to ‘as the crow flies’ not be adopted, but that the existing method of measuring by the shortest available route be retained;

(7)               That the proposal to alter the boundary between the catchment areas for Dorothy Stringer/Varndean and Blatchington Mill/Hove Park not be adopted for 2013/14, but be postponed until 2014/15 to allow for a wider consultation to take place, and that the existing boundary be retained for 2013/14;

(8)               That the Council should review the final version of the Cardinal Newman Roman Catholic Secondary School admission arrangements fro 2013/14 (as amended in light of the Diocesan response and parental and school responses) to decide whether it should comment further;

(9)               That the co-ordinated schemes of admission be approved; and

(10)          That the City boundary be retained as the relevant area for consultation for school admissions.