DETERMINATION OF SCHOOL ADMISSION ARRANGEMENTS 2005/06

1. The Executive Member has approved revised admission policies for community and voluntary controlled schools, both primary and secondary, together with a scheme for coordinating secondary admissions in September 2005. The adoption of these new arrangements follows extensive consultations with schools, governing bodies, other admission authorities and adjoining Local Education Authorities.

2. There are several significant changes in admission arrangements with effect from 2005. The most significant is the Government's requirement for a single national offer date of 1 March 2005 for all secondary admissions. At present in Hampshire decisions on secondary admissions are normally notified by schools to parents before Christmas. The delay until the following March means that there will need to be a change in the sequence of events so that primary admissions are dealt with first followed by secondary admissions: this is necessary in order to leave time for potential appeals to be organised in an orderly manner. It is a matter of concern that parents and children will now have to wait longer before they know at which secondary school they will be allocated a place.

3. Another significant change is the requirement for a coordinated scheme for secondary admissions, covering not only community and voluntary controlled schools, but also admission to all secondary schools, including foundation and voluntary aided schools. The Government's requirement is for all such schools to abide by the common timetable with a single application form and liaison with the County Council as Local Education Authority to ensure that parents receive only one offer of a secondary place. This approach will mean a substantially expanded role for the County Council's admissions team who will have the task of sending out about 14,000 letters offering places at secondary schools on the same day, 1 March 2005; and also dealing with second/third preferences and late applications in a consistent and coordinated manner. They will also, on a trial basis, undertake the entire admissions process for ten selected secondary schools in 2005.

4. The Executive Member has, in addition, authorised the County Education Officer to approved published admission numbers for community and voluntary controlled schools where agreement has not yet been reached; to approve school-specific criteria on behalf of the County Council where there are special circumstances which justify such an approach; to lodge an objection to the Schools Adjudicator in appropriate cases where a foundation or aided school's admission policy or a neighbouring Local Education Authority's admission arrangements appear to be non-compliant; and to authorise the publication of local notices where it is agreed with Governors of community or voluntary controlled schools to reduce their published admission number.

5. The arrangements summarised above are complex and there are some fundamental changes of approach in store for admissions next year. The arrangements have been the subject of detailed scrutiny by the Admissions Forum; the Executive Member and the Education Policy Review Committee have recorded their thanks to members of that Forum for their contribution. Copies of the admissions policies and the scheme of coordinated admissions for 2005 have been placed in the Members' Rooms.