Archived decisions

Co-ordinated scheme for admissions to Year 3 in

Hampshire junior schools in advance of September 2010

1 Principles and scope of the scheme

1.1 The scheme has been drawn up to fulfil the requirements set out in chapter 1 and Appendix 3 of the School Admissions Code, 2007 (published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF)), in particular:

    To simplify the admission process for parents whilst reducing the likelihood of any child being left without a school place. Co-ordination establishes a mechanism that ensures that, as far as is practical, every child living in a local authority area who has applied in the normal admissions round receives one, and only one, offer of a school place on the same day. (1.16)

    The key statutory provisions relating to co-ordinated admission arrangements are:

    · formulating a co-ordinated scheme (paragraph 1.16)

    · fair admission arrangements (1.64 -1.69)

    · a common application form (CJ2) which allows parents to apply for any junior school in Hampshire and give reasons

    · an online application facility

    · how application forms are treated and the use of supplementary information forms (1.71)

    · parents who live outside Hampshire, wishing to apply for a Hampshire school, must use a Hampshire CJ2 or the Hampshire online application facility

    · schools must consider and decide on applications for school places in accordance with their published arrangements (1.28)

    · every child living in a local authority area who has applied in the normal admissions round receives an offer of a school place (1.16)

    · Hampshire parents who are unsuccessful in all their preferences must be offered an alternative school place (Appendix 3)

    · offers of places to be sent on the date specified in the scheme (22 January 2010)

    · the maintaining authority must inform the home authority when it intends to offer a place in one of its schools to a parent living in a different local authority

    · rights of children from overseas (1.52)

1.2 The Hampshire scheme takes into account all relevant legislation including the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, the Education Act 2002, legislation on sex discrimination, race relations, disability (particularly the Code of Practice for schools), and relevant regulations, in particular the School Admissions (Co-ordination of Admission Arrangements) (England) Regulations 2007, a statutory duty under section 14(3A) of the Education Act 1996 ( as inserted by Section 2 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006) and the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

1.3 The scheme applies to all junior and infant schools in Hampshire, including foundation and voluntary aided schools.

1.4 The Hampshire scheme is an "equal preference" scheme. Admission authorities consider all applications against each school's published admission criteria. If a child can be offered a place at more than one of their preferred schools the local authority offers a place at the higher ranked school for which an application was successful.

1.5 The scheme sets out key actions and general principles rather than detail. Administrative procedures will be made available to schools at the end of the summer term each year by the county Admissions Team.

2 The co-ordinated scheme for junior admissions - September 2010

2.1 Terminology

    LA - local authority (for residents living in the administrative area of

      Hampshire County Council, this is the County Council)

Home LA - the LA in which the child lives

Maintaining LA - the LA responsible for the preferred school(s)

    Admissions Team - refers to the Hampshire county Admissions Team

    CJ2 - the common application form issued by Hampshire to be used by both residents and non-residents when applying for a Hampshire school place

    The Hampshire deadline - The date and time given by Hampshire by which the form must be submitted.

    Hampshire school - Those schools located in the administrative area of Hampshire County Council and maintained by Hampshire County Council

    Hampshire parent - a parent living in the administrative area of Hampshire County Council (but whose child[ren] may not necessarily attend a Hampshire school

    Schools Adjudicator - a statutory officer who is appointed by The Secretary of State but is independent of him. The Adjudicator decides on objections to admission arrangements and variations of determined admission arrangements. The Schools Adjudicator comes under the supervision of The Administrative Justice and Tribunals Council.

2.2 Information for parents

    The Code requires Local Authorities to publish clear, objective and fair admission arrangements (4.4). The Education (School Information) (England) Regulations 2002 (as amended) set out these requirements in detail in Schedules 2 and 3.

    The Code gives parents the right to object to the Schools Adjudicator (4.14) if they believe the arrangements do not comply with the law or the mandatory requirements of the Code.

    Information about school admissions and school places, including the composite prospectus, will be published online and sent to all infant schools so that they are available for parents no later than six weeks before the Hampshire deadline for applications. Applications are expected to be made online. Personalised secure access for parents will be arranged and advice issued. Those without access to the online service will be able to request a CJ2 form from the local authority.

2.3 Applications for schools within Hampshire

    Applications must be made online or on the CJ2 common application form, giving up to two Hampshire preferences, and submitted to the Local Authority or current Hampshire infant school by midday on Friday 20 November 2009.

    In addition to the application to the Local Authority (made online or on the CJ2 common application form), the governors of voluntary aided and foundation schools may require a supplementary information form to be completed (to ensure they have sufficient criteria-related information to be able to allocate places correctly). This form is additional to, and does not replace, the application to the Local Authority, which must be completed for every application. Voluntary aided and foundation schools must consider an application received by the Local Authority even when not supported by a supplementary information form.

    Governing bodies of voluntary aided and foundation schools must notify the Admissions Team of any application made to the school direct (regardless of whether the parent making the application resides in the administrative area of the County Council). Governing bodies of voluntary aided and foundation schools must determine by reference to the school's admissions criteria the ranking of all applications to the school. When requested to do so such governing bodies must notify the Admissions Team of their determination.

    Infant and junior schools will send CJ2s to the County Admissions Team as they receive them and by Friday 27 November 2009 at the latest.

2.4 Children with challenging behaviour (3.10-3.13)

              Admission authorities must not refuse to admit children in the normal admission round on the basis of their behaviour elsewhere, except in the case of pupils who have been permanently excluded twice in the preceding two years.

2.5 Applications by Hampshire residents for schools outside Hampshire

    The Code requires parents to use the maintaining LA's application form (available as a paper form or online). Hampshire parents who wish to apply for a school in another LA must use the application form issued by that LA. (The Hampshire application form or online facility must only be used to apply for Hampshire schools.)

2.6 Applications from non-Hampshire residents for Hampshire schools

    Parents must use the Hampshire online application facility or CJ2 form issued by the Admissions Team and submit the application to the Admissions Team by the Hampshire deadline. Hampshire schools will encourage parents to apply on-line.

2.9 Single Notification Date

    On 22 January 2010 the Admissions Team will send letters to all applicants informing them of the outcome of their applications. Under no circumstances may any governing body, headteacher or anyone else associated with the school or the County Council offer a place, or give any indication that a place might be available, before the official offer date. Neither should details of discussion about the number of applications or offers be included in those governing body minutes available to the public.

    The Admissions Team will notify the home LA when a place is offered to a non-Hampshire resident.

    Parents are required to accept or refuse an offer of a place within 14 days of the single notification date.

2.8 Allocation lists

    The Admissions Team will publish to schools detailed lists allocated children of and will provide schools with the associated ATF files for importing to SIMS.

2.9 Late Applications

    All late applications to community and voluntary controlled schools received after the deadline on 20 November 2009 and by 8 January 2010 will normally be treated as late unless exceptional circumstances apply. All Hampshire schools will send late applications to the Admissions Team.

2.10 Applications received after 8 January 2010

              Applications received after 8 January 2010 must be made on the CJ2 and will be handled by the LA with the necessary liaison with schools that are their own admission authority. They will not be considered until fourteen days after the offer letters have been sent. They will then be accepted or refused according to whether places are available in the schools with decisions being sent by the LA.

2.11 Parents who want to change their minds after the deadline

    The new Code advises: "Once parents have made their preferences, local authorities must not allow them to be changed without a genuine reason for doing so, for example, if the family has recently moved address. Local authorities must make this clear in the information they provide for parents." Only changes to preferences arising from genuine reasons will be allowed and they may be considered alongside on-time applications, where appropriate.

2.12 Waiting Lists

    Waiting lists are established 14 days after the single notification date.

    A waiting list will be maintained for all community and voluntary controlled schools. Admission authority schools are expected to do likewise. Any parent who wishes their child to be included on the waiting list must inform the authority in writing. Any places that become available will be allocated according to the criteria of the admission policy with no account being taken of the length of time on the waiting list. In-year fair access (ref. 4.4) and school closure arrangements will take priority over the waiting list.

2.13 Appeals

    Parents may appeal for any school where their application has been unsuccessful. The County Council arranges independent appeals in relation to community and voluntary controlled schools; individual governing bodies are responsible for appeal arrangements in foundation and voluntary aided schools. Voluntary aided schools receive advice from their respective dioceses which will often make the appeal arrangements on schools' behalf.

    Parents should be aware that the appeal process is entirely separate from the management of the waiting lists. The fact that parents may wish to appeal will have no effect on their child's position on the waiting list.

3 General information affecting all admissions

(This section contains specific information and advice to be followed by all schools in the interests of fairness and transparency.)

3.1 Timescales for offers

    During the main admission round, timescales are clearly set out and places are offered well before the place will be taken up.

3.2 Families living some distance from the school

    If a place is available, this must be offered to the child at the top of the waiting list in accordance with the published criteria, even if this child lives some distance from the school. It cannot be a condition of offering a place that a family move into the catchment area or nearer the school, provided the parents can assure the school that the child will arrive on time and attend regularly. Each case must be treated on its merits. If schools are doubtful whether parents will be able to ensure a child's punctuality and regular attendance, this must be discussed directly with them.

3.3 Children with special educational needs but without a statement

    Children with special educational needs but without a statement must be treated as fairly as other applicants. Admission authorities may not refuse to admit a pupil because they consider themselves unable to cater for his or her special educational needs.

3.4 Children with a statement of special educational needs

    The Code states (1.50) "section 324 of the Education Act 1996 requires the governing bodies of all maintained schools to admit a child with a statement of special educational needs that names their school".

3.5 Children with disabilities

    The new Code states that admission authorities must not "discriminate against or disadvantage children with .......... disabilities". In addition, the Disability Discrimination Act requires schools to have regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity and to publish a disability equality scheme showing how they are meeting theses duties.

3.6 Home-school agreements

    Admission may not be conditional upon parents signing a home-school agreement. (1.49)

3.7 Fraud in applications

              Admission authorities reserve the right to withdraw a place where it was obtained fraudulently. (1.43 - 1.44). The County Council will investigate allegations of fraudulent practice and, where appropriate, the County Council may monitor the residency details provided. Monitoring may include contacting third parties to check residency information provided.