Agenda item - School Admission Arrangements 2022/23

Report of the Executive Director Families Children & Learning (copy attached)

RESOLVED: That the Committee –

(i)             Agreed to make no changes to the council’s school admission arrangements or secondary school catchment areas, except for the changes listed in sub- paragraphs 2.2- 2.10 in the report, which would result in a reduction in the total of primary school places in the city by 240 places and a reduction of secondary school places by 120 places;

(ii)            Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Balfour Primary School from 120 to 90 pupils;

(iii)          Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Benfield Primary School from 60 to 30 pupils;

(iv)          Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Brunswick Primary School from 120 to 90 pupils;

(v)           Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Downs Infant School from 120 to 90 pupils;

(vi)          Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Goldstone Primary School from 90 to 60 pupils;

(vii)         Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Moulsecoomb Primary School from 60 to 30 pupils;

(viii)       Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Stanford Infant School from 90 to 60 pupils;

(ix)          Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for West Blatchington Primary School from 60 to 30 pupils;

(x)           Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Hove Park School from 300 to 180 pupils;

(xi)          Agreed to make no change to the co-ordinated scheme for admissions or to the “relevant area”.

61.1    The Committee considered the report of the Executive Director Families Children & Learning regarding the proposed school admission arrangements for the City’s schools, for which the Council is the admission authority, for the academic year 2022-23. The report was introduced by the Head of School Organisation.

61.2    Councillor Brown accepted that it was always a difficult decision to reduce the Published Admission Number (PAN) for a school and accepted that the recommendations in the report had not been taken lightly. The Conservative Group would support the reduction in PAN for most of the schools listed in the report but did not agree with reducing PAN for West Blatchington Primary School. The report states that if the PAN were lowered there be insufficient places for 3 pupils living in that area should all pupils express a preference to attend their local school. In addition, West Blatchington Primary has only just reopened in their new building and should be given at least one further year to see if its popularity and numbers increase, and it was the only primary school in the City to have an autistic spectrum unit.

61.3    Councillor Simson agreed with Councillor Brown’s comments and said that West Blatchington had only been operating on its new site for one year and the Council did promote local schools for local children, and if the PAN was reduced that may not be possible. She asked what help the school had been given to the school to increase its pupil numbers. The Head of School Organisation said that officers had been supporting the Head Teacher and Governors, but it was not possible to recommend one school over another to parents and carers.

61.4    Councillor Hills noted that reducing the PAN was not a reflection on how well a school was performing, and if the decision was taken to reduce the admission number the infrastructure would still be in place to increase the PAN in the future if needed. If action were not taken now the Schools Adjudicator may get involved and schools may be closed

61.5    Councillor Hamilton said that this was a difficult decision for Councillors to make but there were too many places for the number of children in the city, and if the admission numbers was not reduced at some schools it would be necessary to close schools and it would then be very difficult to open them again if additional places were required.

61.6    The Chair noted that some schools on the list were agreeable with the reduction in PAN and that some of the consultation meetings had been less well attended than others and confirmed that she had attended at least one of the consultation meetings at each of the schools.

61.7    RESOLVED: That the Committee –

(i)             Agreed to make no changes to the council’s school admission arrangements or secondary school catchment areas, except for the changes listed in sub- paragraphs 2.2- 2.10 in the report, which would result in a reduction in the total of primary school places in the city by 240 places and a reduction of secondary school places by 120 places;

(ii)            Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Balfour Primary School from 120 to 90 pupils;

(iii)          Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Benfield Primary School from 60 to 30 pupils;

(iv)          Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Brunswick Primary School from 120 to 90 pupils;

(v)           Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Downs Infant School from 120 to 90 pupils;

(vi)          Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Goldstone Primary School from 90 to 60 pupils;

(vii)         Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Moulsecoomb Primary School from 60 to 30 pupils;

(viii)       Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Stanford Infant School from 90 to 60 pupils;

(ix)          Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for West Blatchington Primary School from 60 to 30 pupils;

(x)           Agreed to a change to the Published Admission Number (PAN) for Hove Park School from 300 to 180 pupils;

(xi)          Agreed to make no change to the co-ordinated scheme for admissions or to the “relevant area”.