Issue - meetings

(Report by- Mr G Ward, Director, Capital Programme & Infrastructure)

(1)   The Chairman asked Mr Ward to introduce the report.  Mr Ward highlighted that there had been a major change with casual school admissions. Currently up until this September primarily the local authority (LA) were responsible for admissions from reception year onwards but if a parent moved into an area they would approach the local school, for what ever age their child was, if the school had a place the school would let your child into the school, which was a simple local process. From 1 September the process would change, the parent would have to apply to the local authority that would look at the places available in the area and then contact the school to arrange the placement and then formally write to the parent.  Mr Ward felt that the Admissions Team were prepared but were unaware of how much more addition work this would entail.

(2)   With regard to page 124 paragraph 3(1) of the report, Mr Vye requested a fully researched, detailed report disaggregated by area to include; the published admission number of schools; grammar schools and others, the passes at the Kent Test, the number of passes at headteacher appeals, the number of independent appeals and the number of successful appeals and the final percentage of the cohort going to grammar school for 2010, to be submitted to the next meeting of this POSC.

(3)   In response to a question by Mr Pugh, Mr Ward advised that the LA coordinated the admissions process to all schools in Kent but each school had its own admission arrangements. With regard to academies and foundation schools they could set their own admission arrangements but the LA administered it all through the process.  There were approximately 100 different admission authorities in Kent.  In a follow up comment Mr Pugh expressed his frustrations in trying to assist a pupil entering a school on the Isle of Sheppey.   Mr Ward read out the admissions criteria for the school and advised that the LA had to abide by the criteria.  Mr Cooke concurred advising that there were regulations that needed to be followed and that any variations made to the admissions criteria had to be carried out through consultation.

(4)   RESOLVED that:

(a) agreement be given to the request for a fully researched, detailed report disaggregated by area to include; the published admission number of schools; grammar schools and others, the passes at the Kent Test, the number of passes at headteacher appeals, the number of independent appeals and the number of successful appeals and the final percentage of the cohort going to grammar school for 2010, to be submitted to the next meeting of this POSC; and

(b)  the responses to Members questions and the report be noted.