Agenda and minutes

To note the attendance at this meeting of any duly appointed Reserve Members.

Reserve Members may attend meetings:-

(i)                 to take the place of an ordinary Member for whom they are a reserve;

(ii)               where the ordinary Member will be absent for the whole of the meeting; and

(iii)             the meeting notes at the start of the meeting at the item ‘Reserves’ that the Reserve Member is or will be attending as a reserve;

(iv)              if a Reserve Member whose intention to attend has been noted arrives after the commencement of the meeting, then that Reserve Member can only act as a Member from the start of the next item of business on the agenda after his/her arrival.

RESOLVED:  To note that:

(1)               there were no Reserve Councillor Members in attendance at this meeting;

(2)               Mr M Bauming, Headteacher of Kenmore Park Junior School, was reserving for Ms G Caroli, Headteacher of Grimsdyke School.

To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary or non pecuniary interests, arising from business to be transacted at this meeting, from:

(a)               all Members of the Panel;

(b)               all other Members present.

RESOLVED:  To note that the following interests were declared:

Agenda Item 8 – Admission to County Schools

Councillor Camilla Bath declared a non-pecuniary interest in that she was a governor of Whitchurch First School and Nursery, Harrow High School and St. George’s Roman Catholic School.  She would remain the room for the consideration of any cases relating to those schools.

Councillor Asad Omar declared a non-pecuniary interest in the above item in that he was a governor of Nower Hill School.  He would remain in the room for the consideration of any cases relating to that school.

Mr M Baumring, declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in relation to cases H201, H205, H206 and H207 as he was the Headteacher of Kenmore Park Junior School.  He would leave the room during the consideration of these cases.

Mr Emlyn Lumley declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in relation to case H26 as he was the Headteacher of Park High School.  He would leave the room during the consideration of this case.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 November 2012 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

RESOLVED:  That the minutes of the meeting held on 14 November 2012, be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents or organisations under the provisions of Executive Procedure Rule 51 (Part 4D of the Constitution).

RESOLVED:  To note that no public questions were put, or petitions or deputations received at this meeting.

To resolve that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business, on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of confidential information in breach of an obligation of confidence, or of exempt information as defined in Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972:

RESOLVED:  That, in accordance with Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item for the reason set out below:

Report of the Corporate Director of Children and Families.

In accordance with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, cases P191-P207 and case H26 were admitted late to the agenda to allow the Panel to allocate an appropriate place to the applicants.  P190 had been circulated with the main agenda.

The Panel was informed that cases P190, 191 and 195 were withdrawn as school places had been offered to the children.

On 28 November 2012,there were 16 children for whom admissions staff could make no reasonable offer of a school place.  The School Placement Panel was requested to recommend to the Corporate Director of Children and Families to authorise the admission of these pupils to a school where no places existed in the relevant year group.

Letters from the headteachers of Whitchurch First and Nursery, Belmont, Welldon Park Infant, Camrose Primary, Roxbourne Infant, Stanburn Infant, Roxeth Primary, Whitchurch Junior, Newton Farm Infant and Junior, Aylward Primary and Heathland Schools were circulated at the meeting.  The letters referred to pressures being experienced at schools, which the Panel considered prior to allocating the schools to the 16 children.  Additionally, oral representations were received from Mr E Lumley in relation to case H26 prior to his leaving the room due to his interest.

The Panel also noted that the letters from the various headteachers were responded to by the Admissions Service following meetings of the Panel.

During consideration of these cases, and upon questions from Panel Members, a representative from the Admissions Service advised that the criteria for Faith Schools were published and publicly available.  She added that allocation of places was in accordance with their oversubscription criteria and that all schools were subject to the Fair Access Protocol.  A letter that had been sent to the voluntary aided schools would be circulated to Panel Members.

Resolved to RECOMMEND: (to the Corporate Director of Children and Families)

That offers of admission to schools be made as follows: