Decision details

Proposed decision – To update the determined 2021-22 and 2022-23 admission arrangements for Kent community and voluntary controlled primary schools and Kent community and voluntary controlled secondary schools to accommodate new legal requirements in the forthcoming 2021 School Admissions Code.

Reason for Decision:

Admission authorities are legally required to determine admissions arrangements for their schools by 28 February each year. KCC fulfils this duty annually and following consideration at Education Cabinet Committee, the Cabinet Member for Education formally determines admission arrangements in line with the requirements of the 2014 Admissions Code.

Government consulted on a new Admissions Code in late 2020 and following consideration of responses, laid a new Admissions Code before parliament which will come into force on 1 September 2021, subject to the necessary parliamentary procedure.

The 2021 School Admissions Code requires children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted to be given equal first priority in admission arrangements, alongside looked after children (LAC) and children who were previously looked after by English local authorities (PLAC).

This new provision will necessitate variations to determined admission arrangements to take effect from 1 September 2021. All admission authorities will need to vary their admission arrangements for 2021/22 (which would have been determined by 15 February 2020) and their admission arrangements for 2022/23 (which would have been determined by 15 February 2021). Without these variations, admission arrangements that have already been determined will no longer comply with the Code from this date.

In the event that the 2021 School Admissions Code does not come into force on 1 September 2021 of any reason, admissions arrangements will remain unchanged from their previously determined state.

Following the implementation of the new 2021 School Admissions Code, as Cabinet Member for Education and Skills,I determine:

a)    Updated admission arrangements for Kent community and voluntary controlled primary schools for 2021-22 as detailed in Appendix A

b)      Updated admission arrangements for Kent community and voluntary controlled primary schools for 2022-23 as detailed in Appendix B

c)      Updated admission arrangements for Kent community and voluntary controlled secondary schools for 2021-22 as detailed in Appendix C

d)      Updated admission arrangements for Kent community and voluntary controlled secondary schools for 2022-23 as detailed in Appendix D