Agenda item

8.1

New Cases

8.1.1

The Executive Director, Children, Young People and Families, submitted reports and commented upon 35 cases where parents had expressed a wish for their children to be admitted primary schools of their choice.  The Executive Director stated that places in primary schools had been identified by the City Council, in accordance with the published admission criteria, and it had been agreed that the Executive Director would provisionally allocate places at those schools where there were places available, up to the standard number/admission limit.  The Committee was requested to consider prioritising the pupils on waiting lists, within their respective categories, for admission if and when places become available.

8.1.2

The Committee gave consideration to all the supporting evidence and  information provided by the pupils’ parents including, in some cases, evidence and advice provided by voluntary or professional bodies and organisations, and, arising therefrom, it was:-

8.1.3

RESOLVED: That (a) eleven pupils be not prioritised on the waiting lists, within their respective categories, on the grounds that the Committee considers that there are no exceptional educational, financial, medical or family circumstances demonstrated (Case Nos. M2, M3, M5, M7, M8, M14, M18, M20, M22, M23 and M30);

(b) five pupils be prioritised at the top of the waiting list in the ‘catchment’ category on the grounds that there are exceptional medical circumstances (Case Nos. M6, M16, M28, M31 and M32);

(c) three pupils be prioritised on the waiting list in the ‘sibling’ category, two at the top of the waiting list and one second on the waiting list, on the grounds that there are exceptional medical or family circumstances (Case Nos. M1, M33 and M13 respectively);

(d) fifteen pupils be prioritised on the waiting list in the ‘non-catchment’ category on the grounds that there are exceptional educational, medical or family circumstances, with (i) nine pupils being placed at the top of the waiting list (Case Nos. M12, M15, M19, M21, M25, M26, M27, M29 and M35), (ii) five pupils being placed second on the waiting list (Case Nos. M4, M9, M10, M17 and M34) and (iii) one pupil being placed third on the waiting list (Case No. M11); and

(e) consideration of one request be deferred to enable the Executive Director to seek further medical information (Case No. M24), and authority be given for the Executive Director, in consultation with the Chair of the Committee, to determine the request.

(NOTE: In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 26 of the Council’s Constitution and the provisions of Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, the Chair decided that Case Nos. M28, M29, M30, M31, M32, M33, M34 and M35) be considered as matters of urgency in order for the requests to be considered at the earliest possible opportunity although it had not been possible to give five clear days’ notice that the requests were to be considered.)

8.2

Outcome on Deferred Case

Following the decision of the Committee at its last meeting, to defer consideration of Case No. F22 to enable the Executive Director, Children, Young People and Families to seek further clarification on the case, it was noted that the child in this case had been offered and accepted a place at one of their three preferred schools.