Issue - items at meetings - Review of the Secondary Admission Process for 2014/15

(1)       That the Committee agree that a Review of the Secondary Admissions process is carried out as detailed in this paper;

(2)       That the Review of the Secondary Admissions Process will be concluded by the end of 2012 and any recommendation will be presented to Committee in February 2013 for potential implementation in September 2014/15; and

(3)               That the cross party group meets monthly with the Strategic Commissioner, Planning and Contracts, to oversee progress with this review.

9.1       The Committee considered a report of the Strategic Director, Place seeking approval that a Review of the Secondary Admissions process be carried out as detailed in the report.

9.2       It was noted that the present Secondary School Admissions system had been agreed at the full Council Meeting held on 27 February 2007 this had included a recommendation by the Working Group set up to consider this that a review of the whole secondary school admissions system take place in 2012. A cross party working group had been set up to look at school places and had proved a useful vehicle for seeking consensus in a difficult area. The report detailed the criteria for this review, its timescales and the expectation that any proposed changes to the existing process that were agreed would be adopted for September 2014/2015.

9.3       Councillor Simson referred to the table set out at Paragraph 3.2 of the report and enquired whether this data took account of recent appeal decisions and it was confirmed that it did not. Councillors Simson and Wealls also referred to the recent decision agreed by the then Cabinet Member and ratified at full Council in relation to the boundaries of the Dorothy Stringer catchment area. It was noted that the implications arising from this would be factored in to the consultation process.

9.4       Councillor Brown considered that it was important to the process proceed in concert with the decision agreed by full Council.

9.5       Councillor Pissaridou referred to the projections in relation to secondary schools places, referring to the need to provide up to another 500 places by 2018/19 and to the fact that if any new school was to be provided it would have to be a free school or an academy. The Chair responded confirming that as part of the review process it would be necessary to consider where these schools would be likely to be established and the potential impact of this on existing catchment areas.

9.6       Councillor Lepper referred to need to look carefully at the provision of places to both infant and junior/primary schools and how that could impact on where secondary school places were provided.

9.7       RESOLVED – (1) That the Committee agree that a Review of the Secondary Admissions process is carried out as detailed in the report;

            (2) That the Review of the Secondary Admissions Process will be concluded by the end of 2012 and any recommendation will be presented to Committee in February 2013 for potential implementation in September 2014/15; and

(3)       That the cross party group meets monthly with the Strategic Commissioner, Planning and Contracts, to oversee progress with this review.