Issue - meetings

(Report of the Director of Children’s Services. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children). The report sets out the proposed response to Scrutiny Panel’s recommendations with respect to school place planning.

Cabinet considered a report, introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children, which set out the service’s response to recommendations made by the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel for improving the schools admissions process.

The Cabinet Member noted that report of the Scrutiny Panel had been useful and that changes were being implemented to improve the admission processes as a result of the recommendations made. It was also noted that a report would be received by Cabinet, later in the year, setting out proposals for the possible expansion of three schools in Muswell Hill.

In response to a question, Cabinet was advised that it was now possible for parents to submit supporting documents online and that the guidance had been updated to reflect this. In terms of the arrangements for in year changes and cross borough applications Cabinet was advised that the guidance to parents around the processes around for making these applications had been revised to make the rules more easily understood.

RESOLVED:

That the response to the Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel’s recommendations with respect to improving the delivery of the admissions process, as set out in paragraphs 5.6 to 5.44 of this report, be approved.  

Alternative options considered

In addressing the recommendations set out by the Scrutiny Panel a wide number of actions were considered and this report provides what is considered to be the most effective actions to secure outcomes for each and every recommendation.  Therefore, at the time of writing this report no alternative options have been considered.  These actions will be honed and refined as they are implemented where it is clear that the outcome can be improved if adjustments to any action are required. 

Reasons for decision

The recommended actions set out in the report support the work of the Admissions Service in its overarching aim to provide a service of the highest quality to all its users and to optimise the opportunities for all parents and carers to apply on time and secure one of their preferences for a school place for their child.