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 there were no Reserve Members in attendance at this meeting.

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

Councillor Raj Ray declared a non-pecuniary interest in that he was a governor of Kingsley Primary School and Shaftesbury High School.  He would remain in the room for the consideration of any cases relating to these schools.

Mrs A Winstrom declared a pecuniary interest in that she was Headteacher at Whitchurch First School and Nursery.  She would leave the room during the consideration of any cases relating to the school.

That the minutes of the meeting held on 25 September 2013 be taken as read and signed as a correct record.

Having noted that the minutes had not been circulated with the agenda, it was

RESOLVED:  That consideration of the minutes of the meeting held on 25 September 2013 be deferred to the next meeting.

To receive questions (if any) from local residents or organisations under the provisions of Executive Procedure Rule 50 (Part 4D of the Constitution).

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

Members are asked to consider the frequency of meetings. Meetings are currently held approximately every two weeks, and the attached timetable shows the dates of the meetings should it be decided to meet every three weeks.

The Panel referred to the proposed variation in the School Placement Panel timetable of meetings but were of the view that the two weekly cycle of meetings was appropriate, as set out in the Calendar of Meetings 2013/14. Meetings every three weeks would result in longer meetings and was not practical for Panel members.  Having agreed a date for the next meeting it was

RESOLVED:  That the next meeting of the School Placement Panel be held on 6 November 2013 at 10.00 am and thereafter meet on a fortnightly basis, as set out below:

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 Children and Families.

In accordance with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, cases P494-559 were admitted late to the agenda to allow the Panel to allocate an appropriate place to the applicants.  It was noted that case numbers P494 – P500, P502-505, P508, P511-513, P516, P529, P531, P534-544, P549, P551-552 and P558-559 had been withdrawn as these pupils had been offered school places prior to the meeting.

A grid which set out the home to school distance for each pupil was circulated at the meeting together with a revised schedule which provided updated information about the number of pupils on roll at the schools being considered.  In addition, a number of letters from the head teachers of various schools which set out information about pupil numbers at their schools were circulated to the Panel for consideration.

On 16 October 2013there were 32 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.

Having declared a pecuniary interest, Mrs A Winstrom, Headteacher at Whitchurch First School and Nursery, left the room during the consideration of cases P517, P528, P530, and P545, as they related to her school.

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

That offers of admission to schools be made as follows:

An officer reported that Children’s Services had had a meeting with a group of primary headteachers to discuss the various pressures facing schools in relation to school roll numbers.  The Chairman was disappointed that she had not been invited to the meeting and requested that she be invited to future meetings. She considered it important that Councillors were present at such meetings.

RESOLVED:  That the Chairman be invited to future meetings with headteachers.