Annual consultation on school admission arrangements for the 2013 to 2014 academic year

Background to consultation

All school admission authorities, including Plymouth City Council, are required to consult on their admission arrangements. It is important to ensure that school admission arrangements meet the needs of all parents and children and consultation is an important part of the process in formulating and setting school admission arrangements. We are consulting:

• all maintained schools in Plymouth
• pre-schools in Plymouth
• parents
• local community groups
• neighbouring local authorities
• schools in neighbouring areas
• the local Admission Forum
• Church of England (CE) and Roman Catholic (RC) Diocesan Directors of Education
• City Councillors and Members of Parliament
• trade unions
• relevant Trusts and Associations

Admission authorities are generally required to consult by 1 March on the admission arrangements. Consultation does not necessarily happen each year. An admission authority is not required to consult on its proposed admission arrangements where:

1. it correctly consulted on its proposed admission arrangements in one or both of the two preceding determination years and
2. the proposed admission arrangements are the same as those determined following the last consultation.

The consultation period must last for at least eight weeks and each admission authority must take all steps necessary to ensure that they determine their admission arrangements before 15 April 2012.

The consultation is based on the Department for Education (DfE) School Admissions Code of Practice. Current admission arrangements for Plymouth maintained schools are published in the:

• Starting School booklet (starting school for the first time)
• Starting Junior School booklet for junior admissions (transfers from Year 2 of an infant school to a junior school)
• Next Step booklet for secondary admissions (transfers from primary/junior school to secondary school)
• In-year admissions booklet (transfers at any point other than those stated above).

Regulations under which this consultation takes place

The admission arrangements within this consultation have been based on the Revised Draft School Admissions Code of Practice. It is anticipated that this draft Code will come into force in February 2012. If there are changes to the final Code which impact on the admission policies consulted upon, the admission arrangements will be changed to comply with the law. For instance, the draft Code refines the meaning of a looked after child. If the final School Admissions Code applicable to 2013 to 2014 entry has a different meaning, the admission arrangements will be amended to reflect the change.

What is included in this consultation

We are consulting on the coordinated admission scheme arrangements for the 2013 to 2014 academic year during this current consultation process. We are also consulting on the admission arrangements for 2013 to 2014 for:

• all community and voluntary controlled nursery, primary and secondary schools.

and on behalf of:

• Secondary - All Saints CE Academy, Coombe Dean School (Academy), Devonport High School for Boys (Academy), Devonport High School for Girls (Academy), Eggbuckland Community College (Foundation), Hele’s School (Academy),  Lipson Community College (Academy), Marine Academy Plymouth (Academy), Notre Dame RC Secondary School (VA), Plymstock School (Academy), Ridgeway School (Academy), St Boniface’s RC College (VA), Stoke Damerel Community College (Academy) and Tor Bridge High (Academy),
• Primary - The Cathedral School St Mary (RC VA), Elburton Primary School (Academy), Holy Cross Primary School (RC VA), Keyham Barton Primary School (RC VA), Mount Street Primary School (Trust), Oreston Community Academy (Academy), Plympton St Mary’s CE Infant School (CE VA), St Andrew’s CE Primary School (CE VA), St Budeaux Foundation Junior School (CE VA), St George's (CE VA), St Joseph's Primary School (RC VA), St Paul's Primary School (RC VA), St Peter's CE (CE VA) and St Peter's Primary School (RC VA).

School published admission numbers

The published admission numbers (PANs) for most schools will remain the same in 2013 to 2014. However, due to the increase in the primary birth rate, it is planned to review the PANs for primary schools during 2012 to 2013 with a view to increasing some PANs - that review is not part of this consultation.

There are proposals to change some primary school PANs within this consultation. A review is also taking place to consider a reduction in PAN at some secondary schools to reflect the decrease in pupil numbers at that age. Details have not been finalised as yet. Nursery school PANs are part of this consultation.

2013 to 2014 proposed changes

In respect of the schools for which Plymouth City Council is carrying out the consultation, proposed changes to the admission arrangements are detailed below. All other aspects of the arrangements will remain as previously published.

1. Co-ordinated admission schemes

2. Admission arrangements

2.1 Community and voluntary controlled schools

2.2 Coombe Dean School (Academy)

2.3 Devonport High School for Girls

2.4 Eggbuckland Community College (Foundation)

2.5 Hele’s School (Academy)

2.6 Lipson Community College (Academy)

2.7 Marine Academy Plymouth (Academy)

2.8 Plymstock School (Academy)

2.9 Ridgeway School (Academy)

2.10 Stoke Damerel Community College (Academy)

2.11 Tor Bridge High (Academy)

2.12 Elburton Primary School (Academy)

2.13 Mount Street Primary School (Trust)

2.14 Oreston Community Academy (Academy)

3. All Saints CE Academy

• Secondary transfer admission criteria
• Sixth form admission criteria
• In Year admissions

4. Devonport High School for Boys (Academy)

• Secondary transfer admission criteria
• Supplementary information form – Y7 (SIF)
• Sixth form admission criteria
• In Year admissions
• Supplementary information form – In-year (SIF)

5. Notre Dame RC Secondary School admission criteria (RC VA)

• Secondary transfer admission criteria
• Sixth form admission criteria
• In Year admissions
• Supplementary information form (SIF)

6. RC VA primary schools (The Cathedral School St Mary Primary School, Holy Cross Primary School, Keyham Barton Primary School, St Joseph's Primary School, St Paul's Primary School and St Peter's Primary School)

• Primary transfer admission criteria
• Supplementary information form (SIF)
• In Year admissions

7. St Andrew’s CE Primary School (CE VA)

• Primary transfer admission criteria
• In Year admissions

8. St Boniface’s RC College (RC VA)

• Secondary transfer admission criteria
• Sixth form admission criteria
• Supplementary information form (SIF)
• In Year admissions

9. St Budeaux CE Junior School (CE VA)

• Junior transfer admission criteria
• In Year admissions

10. St George’s CE Primary School (CE VA)

• Primary transfer admission criteria
• Supplementary information form (SIF)
• In Year admissions

11. St Mary’s CE Infant School (CE VA)

• Primary transfer admission criteria
• Supplementary information form (SIF)
• In Year admissions

12. St Peter’s CE Primary School (CE VA)

• Primary transfer admission criteria
• In Year admissions

13. PAN changes

• Nursery school admission numbers

Which schools are not included in this consultation?

• Widewell Educational Trust Primary School (Trust).

Please contact the school direct for details of their consultation arrangements.

How to respond to the consultation

You can use the online response form to make any comment on the admission arrangements shown above. If you prefer, you can send your comments in writing to School Admissions Consultation (ref JEP), Services for Children and Young People, Plymouth City Council PL1 2AA or by email to the School Admissions Team. Your comments must be received by 29 February 2012 as the consultation will close on this date.

What happens after the consultation ends?

Having taken into account any responses to the consultation, admission authorities must set their arrangements by 15 April 2012 and then, within 14 days, notify those they consulted of the new arrangements. In setting their admission arrangements, authorities must 'act in accordance with the School Admissions and Appeals Codes (Education and Inspections Act 2006)'. Once set, objections to arrangements can be made to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator or in the case of Academy Schools, direct to the Secretary of State.

Once the admission arrangements have been formally determined, prescribed consultees will be able to object to the admission arrangements to the Schools Adjudicator or the Secretary of State (Academy schools only) at any date up to 30 June 2012.

Information about making an objection is in Chapter 4 of the Department for Education (DfE) School Admissions Code of Practice (paragraphs 4.12 to 4.27). Once arrangements have been made, they will be published on our school admissions page.

Where can I access the consultation documents?

The full consultation documents can be downloaded above. Paper copies are also available from the School Admissions Team on request.

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