Decision details

(i)  To approve the Admissions Policies and the Published Admission Numbers (PANs) for Community and Voluntary Controlled schools and the schemes for coordinating Infant-Primary and Junior admissions for the school year 2021-22 as set out in appendices 1 to 5, and

(ii)  To authorise the Executive Director - Wellbeing, Children and Learning to take any action necessary to give effect to the admissions policies and to make any changes necessary to the admissions policies where required to give effect to any Acts, Regulations or revised Schools Admissions or School Admissions Appeals Codes or binding Schools Adjudicator, Court or Ombudsman decisions whenever they arise.

Southampton City Council (the admission authority) proposes changes to the 2021-22 admission policies for Infant-Primary and Junior admissions. Where changes are proposed to admission arrangements, the admission authority must first publicly consult on those arrangements. Consultation must be for a minimum of 6 weeks and must take place between 1 October and 31 January of the school year before those arrangements are to apply. Admission Authorities must set (‘determine’) admission arrangements annually.

The proposed policies are at Appendix 1 and 2. There are changes from the 2020-21 arrangements.

An alternative option considered was to not consult on or determine local admission arrangements. This has been rejected because it would be unlawful.

An alternative option considered was to not make any changes to the PANs. This has been rejected because the city is forecasting surplus places from 2021. Maintaining empty classrooms is costly; especially infant classes as they must not contain more than 30 pupils with a single qualified teacher. If schools have several vacancies, they would be required to employ an additional teacher. Given the pupil forecasting, this would not be financially sustainable.