Summary of consultation on admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled schools 2018-2019
 
Period of consultation: 3 October 2016 to 27 November 2016
 
This consultation invites you to give your views about the proposed admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled schools in Nottinghamshire for 2018-2019.   
 
Background information  

Admission authorities There are different types of schools in Nottinghamshire.  The County Council is the admission authority for community and voluntary controlled schools. This means that we are responsible for the admission arrangements for these schools.
 
Other types of schools - academies, foundation, studio, trust and voluntary aided schools are their own admission authorities.  These schools are responsible for their own admission arrangements and have to run their own consultation.  You would need to visit individual school websites for details.
 
Admission arrangements including oversubscription criteria
All schools must have admission arrangements that clearly set out how children will be admitted, including information about what happens if there are more applications than places available (oversubscription criteria). 
 
All admission authorities must include the oversubscription criteria in their arrangements.  The criteria must be reasonable, clear, objective, procedurally fair, and comply with all relevant legislation, including equalities legislation.
 
It is for admission authorities to decide which criteria are most suitable for the school according to the local circumstances.   
 
Nottinghamshire community and voluntary controlled schools have defined catchment areas and people living in these areas have high priority for places.  Children living in the catchment area with a brother or sister (sibling) attending the school are given higher priority.  This supports parents who wish their children to attend a local publicly funded school.  
 
This does not prevent parents who live outside the catchment area of a school, or even outside Nottinghamshire, from expressing a preference for that school.  
 
Within each of the criteria, children living closer to a school by direct distance will be given priority.  This means that out of catchment children (with or without a brother or sister) living closer to the school will be more likely to be offered a place than those living further away.

What is included in the consultation?
Nottinghamshire County Council is consulting on admission arrangements 2018-2019 for community and voluntary controlled schools within Nottinghamshire.  
 
These arrangements are relevant for children who will be starting primary school, moving to junior school, moving to secondary school and children transferring school during the school year 20182019.
 
You will find the following in the full consultation document available at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/2018admissionsconsultations 
 
Full proposed admission arrangements including:
 
Section 1 – the overall procedures and practices that are used to decide how places are allocated (oversubscription criteria).  There are no changes proposed to the oversubscription criteria for 2018-2019 and these remain the same as those determined for 2017-2018.  
 
It has been suggested that the oversubscription criteria be changed to include priority for children with siblings living out of catchment.  Nottinghamshire County Council is presently minded not to change the oversubscription criteria in this manner.  
 
The County Council continues to give priority to those children with a sibling living in the catchment area.  The Council believes it is important and fair to continue to give priority to those out of catchment children, with or without siblings, living closer to a school.
 
Section 2 - proposed admission number (PAN): the number of places that can be allocated in the year group.   For some community and voluntary controlled schools there is a proposal to change the PAN.  This is the number of places that must be offered in each relevant age group.  Where changes are proposed, these are highlighted.    The PAN determined for 2017-2018 is shown in brackets.  This section is ordered by area (Ashfield, Bassetlaw and so on).
 
Section 3 - qualifying scheme: how we coordinate the arrangements for the admission of pupils to primary and secondary schools in Nottinghamshire. Coordination means that local authorities exchange information and work together to ensure that, as far as possible, every parent of a child living in a local authority area who has applied for a publicly funded school or academy is sent one, and only one, offer of a school place. There are proposed changes to the dates in the coordinated schemes.
 
Section 4 - how in-year applications are processed.   Nottinghamshire County Council has an in-year coordinated scheme for all community and voluntary controlled schools.  Some own admission authorities have also joined that scheme.
 
Who do we consult with?
We will be seeking the views of the following groups: 
 
 parents of children between the ages of two and eighteen  other people in the area who may have an interest in the proposed admission arrangements  all other admission authorities within the relevant area   all community and voluntary controlled schools in Nottinghamshire  chairs of governing bodies of Nottinghamshire schools   diocesan representatives (relevant religious authorities)  admission authorities in neighbouring local authority areas  all registered early years providers within Nottinghamshire
 
 
You can give your views on the consultation between 3 October 2016 and 27 November 2016
 
Full details of the proposed admission arrangements for 2018-2019 are available at www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/2018admissionsconsultations 
 
Anyone can comment on the arrangements.  If you wish to respond, you can do this by 27 November 2016 by:
 
- Completing the online response form on the public website www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/2018admissionsconsultations  
​- Emailing admissionsconsultations@nottscc.gov.uk

- Writing to School Admissions Consultation, Admissions Working Group, Support to Schools Service, Meadow House, Littleworth, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG18 2TA.
 
The School Admissions Code 2014 (1.45) states that the full proposed admission arrangements must be available on the website for the duration of the consultation period.  
 
What happens after the consultation closes? 
  
All responses received by 27 November 2016 will be considered.  Elected members (County Councillors) make a decision on behalf of Nottinghamshire taking into account a range of information, including the consultation responses.  All admission authorities have to agree the admission arrangements that are most suitable according to the local circumstances.  
 
Determining admission arrangements 2018-2019 Admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled schools must be agreed (determined) by Nottinghamshire County Council by 28 February 2017 even if there have been no changes from previous years.
  
Publication of determined arrangements 2018-2019 Once Nottinghamshire County Council has determined their admission arrangements, they will be available on the public website for the whole offer year (the academic year in which offers for places are made).  Local authorities must publish on their website by 15 March 2017.