TO: EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR CHILDREN YOUNG PEOPLE & LEARNING

DATE: 28 FEBRUARY 2022

SCHOOL ADMISSIONS ARRANGEMENTS 2023/24

Executive Director of People

1          Purpose of Report

1.1. To determine the school admission arrangements for the academic year 2023/24.

2. Executive Summary

2.1       The report provides details of the consultation on changes to admission arrangements designated areas held between 01 November and 13 December 2021.

2.2       The recommendations describe the key changes to be made to the admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled schools.

3. Recommendations

3.1       To note the outcomes of the consultation on admission arrangements.

3.2 Following a public consultation it is recommended to agree to reduce the designated / catchment area for Garth Hill College to remove it from the shared area with King’s Academy Binfield, creating a separate designated area for each school.

4.         Reasons for Recommendations

4.1 King’s Academy Binfield opened in September 2018 with 120 students in year 7 only. A designated area was created for the new school within the 2018/19 admission arrangements at the time.

4.2 The designated area for King’s Academy Binfield consisted of part of the existing Garth Hill College designated area. (shown on the attached map Appendix A)

4.3 The designated area for Garth Hill College was not reduced at the time of creating one for King’s Academy Binfield, as the new school was only able to accept pupils into year 7. Reducing the designated area for Garth Hill College at the time would have resulted in those with children in years 8-11 in the King’s Academy Binfield designated area, being without a designated school for those year groups. It was therefore decided to create a shared area in the interim.

4.4 Since opening in 2018 King’s Academy Binfield has gradually opened additional year groups each year and from September 2022, the school will be fully open to accepting pupils into all year groups, removing the need for the shared designated area.

5.         Alternative Options Considered

5.1       None.  It is a statutory requirement of the School Admissions Code that consultation be undertaken as changes are proposed.

6          Supporting Information

6.1       The School Admissions Code requires authorities to consult on admissions arrangements only if they are making changes to them or every 7 years.  All admission arrangements must be determined by the Executive Member by 28 February 2022, with the changes proposed from current arrangements set out below.

6.2       Attached are:

Appendix A – Current DA Map

Appendix B – Proposed DA Map

Appendix C - Proposed admission arrangements 2023/24 for Primary, Secondary
and In Year applications for community and voluntary controlled schools.

Appendix D – Sixth Form Proposed admission arrangements 2023/24 for community schools

Appendix E – Consultation report

Appendix F – Email response

6.3       No other substantive changes are being proposed to the agreed admission arrangements from 2022-23

7 Consultation

Principal Groups Consulted

7.1 A consultation was held between 01 November and 13 December 2021.

7.2 The consultation covered only the one proposed change which is to reduce the designated area of Garth Hill College to remove it from the shared area with King’s Academy Binfield, creating a separate designated area for each school from September 2023.

7.3            The consultation had to ensure by statute that the following list of people are consulted. Failure to consult effectively may be grounds for subsequent complaints and appeals.

a) ‘parents of children between the ages of two and eighteen;

b) other persons in the relevant area who in the opinion of the admission authority have an interest in the proposed admissions;

c) all other admission authorities within the relevant area (except that primary schools need not consult secondary schools);

d) whichever of the governing body and the local authority who are not the admission authority;

e) any adjoining neighbouring local authorities where the admission authority is the local authority; and

f) in the case of schools designated with a religious character, the body or person representing the religion or religious denomination’.

Method of Consultation

7.4            These included: 

· Information and a questionnaire were made available on the Council’s consultation portal, website and on paper.

· Comments were also invited via the portal or email.

Representations Received

7.5            36 responses were made on the online consultation portal. A summary of these is shown at Appendix E.

7.6            1 response was started but did not answer the question taking the total down to 35 responses.

7.7            One comment was received via email.

7.8            Between the online and email responses 25 responded in favour of the change and 11 responded against the change.

7.9            Only 1 responant, the one received by email, entered a reason for their response which is detailed in Appendix F.

6 Other Considerations

Legal Advice

8.1       “There are no specific legal issues arising from the recommendations in this report. The legal issues are addressed within the report”.

Financial Advice

8.2       The Executive Director: Resources is satisfied that no significant financial implications rise from this report

Other Consultation Responses

8.3       None

Equalities Impact Assessment

8.4       Bracknell Forest Council has an inclusive education policy and children will not be discriminated against as laid down by the Human Rights Act 1998, Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 and 2005 and Equality Act 2010.

Strategic Risk Management Issues

8.5       Significant Risks include:

ISSUE		RISK	COMMENT
1	If the annual admissions arrangements are not determined, the Local Authority would be in breach of the School Admissions Code.	MEDIUM	The Local Authority could be reported to the Schools Adjudicator for failure to comply with the School Admissions Code 2021.

Climate Change Implications

8.6       The recommendations in Section 2 above are expected to have no impact on emissions of CO_2.

8.7       As Garth Hill College is not currently oversubscribed and has not been in recent years, reducing the designated area will not change applicants chances of obtaining a place and therefore would not impact on their travel to their preferred school.

Background Papers

School Admissions Code 2021

Contact for further information

Tina Sweeney             School Admissions Manager

01344 354035             Tina.Sweeney@bracknell-forest.gov.uk