Archived decisions

ADMISSIONS FORUM

1. The Executive Member has approved the revised membership of the Admissions Forum covering Hampshire. The role of the Admissions Forum in Hampshire, which has been in operation since July 1999, is to advise the County Council on school admissions matters, to simplify the County Council's admissions policy to make it fairer and easier to understand, and to develop further the co-ordination between the admission authorities within Hampshire. Apart from the County Council itself, those other admissions authorities are dioceses and foundation schools.

2. It was therefore timely to look again at the membership of the Forum, having regard to relevant advice from the Department for Education and Skills and also to the likelihood that an Admissions Forum will soon become a statutory requirement. The Forum itself was consulted and endorsed a total membership of 28, to include 3 County Councillors; a total of 8 representatives of parents and governors; a total of 6 teachers/headteachers; 4 from the Church of England and Roman Catholic Dioceses covering Hampshire; and a total of 4 representing the interests of early years, special educational needs, ethnic groups and the armed forces. The main addition was the inclusion in the Forum's membership of 3 representatives from neighbouring Local Education Authorities: Dorset, Southampton and Portsmouth, where there are particular cross-border issues and a special working relationship exists.

3. In view of the general consensus in favour of the proposed changes, the Executive Member for Education has therefore approved the revised membership of the Admissions Forum as summarised above. For reference, he has also approved the appointment of the 3 representatives of the County Council, who are Councillors Mrs P.A. West; Mrs A.E. Bailey and Jo Kelly.

8FR171101