Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest.

a)  To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 17^th January, 2019

b)  Matters arising

The minutes of the meeting held on 17^th January, 2019 were signed as a true record.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People) that sought approval of the Admissions Policy for Community and Voluntary Controlled Primary, Infant and Junior Schools for 2021/22 and approval of the Co-ordinated Admissions Scheme for Primary, Infant and Junior Schools and Secondary Schools in Coventry for 2021/22.  The proposed Admissions Policy and Schemes were appended to the report.

Each year the Department for Education requires Local Authorities to determine the co-ordination schemes for school admissions in their areas and the admissions policies for community and voluntary controlled schools which were the responsibility of the local authority, by 28 February.

In April 2006, Cabinet agreed that consideration of reports on school admission arrangements would be delegated to the appropriate Cabinet Member in years where there were no significant changes to admission arrangements. (Cabinet minute number 253/06 refers).  The only change was in the reduction of published admission numbers at three primary schools and a consultation had taken place as required by the School Admissions Code 2014.

After several years of expanding primary schools across the city, there had recently been reducing birth rates and lower demand for places in reception at primary school.  This trend was forecast to continue.  Where schools had high numbers of spare places this created financial difficulties for the schools.  In order to meet these challenges as a local authority we needed to be able to offer a sustainable level of school places to offer parental choice whilst supporting schools to manage their financial position.

All primary schools were notified in the summer term about the general picture of falling demand which would leave 12% available spaces across the city which was considerably above the Department for Education recommended levels of 4 – 8% spare capacity.  Schools were asked to consider whether their governing bodies would wish to consult on reducing their published admission numbers (PAN).  Meetings were held with schools in local planning areas where forecasts showed particularly high levels of surplus places.  A meeting of the primary partnership in the autumn term 2019 also provided an opportunity to discuss the strategic picture again.

Alderman’s Green and Spon Gate primary schools requested a reduction in their PAN from 2020 and so a separate application had been made to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator to reduce the admission number at each school by one form of entry.  Whilst awaiting the result of this application, both schools had been put forward for a reduction from 2021.  The governing body of Frederick Bird School also proposed a reduction to assist in managing the reducing level of demand across schools in their local planning area.  In each case the schools were proposing to reduce by one form of entry and the consultation had taken place from 27 November to 8 January 2020.

On 9 January 2020 the Office of the Schools Adjudicator published their decision to agree to the reduction of the PAN at Spon Gate School from 2020 onwards to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

There were no outstanding issues.

Any other items of public business which the Cabinet Member decides to take as matters of urgency because of the special circumstances involved.

There were no other items of business.