Schools Organisation, Capital and Admissions Group: Notes of meeting on Tuesday 3 March 2026

Item 2. Determined Admission Arrangements 2027-28  

• 94% first choice secondary school places across the county during the normal admissions round. 
• School-determined priority admission categories have impacted on availability of places for local children living within catchment area. 
• Additional support has been provided by the admissions team to parents to help with admission applications. 

Item 4. School Organisation Update

• Noted a further significant flooding event occurred at Tipton St John Primary following recent storm, highlighting an ongoing significant safeguarding risk to children on site which governors are managing.  A decision around the DfE rebuild of the school at a suitable location will be treated as a priority.
• Devon County Council is strategically considering the impact of demographic drop off on the ongoing sustainability of small rural schools.  Understand thatDfE recognises the current regional pressure on small rural school viability. 
• The Promise School – SOCA recognises the significant joint response from Dartmoor MAT, Wave, DCC and DfE to consider continuing education for pupils and a new site for the school following the recent fire.  The impact on the school community has been devastating.  Wave MAT have been providing support and Educational Psychologist support has been put in place for staff and pupils.

Item 5. Capital Programme Update

• School Rebuilding Programme 2026 applications open for 10 weeks and close on 23/4/26. 
• Key requirements are in place around demonstrating rebuilding need where buildings are in ‘very poor condition’ and large-scale rebuilding or refurbishment is the necessary and most efficient option.  Built Environments Team will lead on this for maintained school estate.

Attendance

DCC

Katherine Crompton (Chair) – Capital Programme Manager,  Simon Niles – Head of Education Strategy & Central Operations, Karen Worthington – Service Lead, Access to Education, Shona Meek – Senior School Organisation Officer, Andrew Brent – Senior Policy Officer, Heidi Watson-Jones – Executive Assistant (Inclusion & Learning)

Devon Schools Leadership Services

David Perkins – Littletown Primary, Penny Hammett – FORT Federation, Gareth Smith – Okehampton College

Special School Heads

DAG

Ian Rogers

Apologies

Fran Butler – Early Years & Childcare Sufficiency Lead, Andrew Sweeney – Holsworthy College, Caroline Harding – NASUWT, Kirsty Wright – Catholic Diocese of Plymouth, Nick Cook – South West Norse

1. Minutes of previous meeting – 1 December 2025

• Outstanding Actions:
• Built Environments Team keen for schools to report any concerns or issues with Service Term contractors.  ACTION: KC / NC to share summary with schools of expected levels of performance and billing from service term contractors.
• All other actions complete or in hand.
• The minutes were agreed as an accurate record.

2. Admissions – Determined Admission Arrangements 2027-28 

• The 2027-28 admission arrangements have been determined and will be published in the LA’s SharePoint folder at http://devon.cc/schoolpolicy
• Where schools have not yet determined their policies, this must now be completed as a matter of urgency, published on school and Trust websites and shared with Diocese where applicable.
• SOCA noted proposed changes to the coordinated admissions scheme
• 2028/29 admissions consultation round will begin in November 2026.  Draft policy document will be developed during the summer which own admission authority schools and Trusts may use.
• Normal Admissions Round – 94% first choice secondary school places across the county. 
• Mindful that school-determined priority categories will impact on availability of places for local children.  Noted one school has been unable to admit local children from within catchment as a result of priority admission categories including children of staff and protected characteristics of children out of catchment.
• Additional support has been offered by the admissions team to parents, particularly those who are harder to reach, to help with school admission application. 
• Heads reported that access to the Portal has been helpful to encourage families to submit timely applications.
• Admission appeals – Heads asked for clarity of advice for headteacher involvement in the appeals process, including attending and/or providing letters of support for parents as part of their appeal.  Guidance on attending on behalf of their school when subject to an appeal would also be welcomed. 
• ACTION: AB to draft guidance for headteachers

3. SW Norse Update

• The group considered the update report from SW Norse on maintenance contractors. 
• Completion of emergency lighting compliance checks seem low compared to general electrical testing, but noted that these would be completed separately.
• Noted Legionella testing compliance appeared to be low compared to other areas.  Understand SW Norse is discussing this out-of-tolerance performance level with the contractor.
• Reminder that Danny O’Driscoll is the compliance lead for Norse and can be contacted if there are any concerns around contractor performance.

4. School Organisation and Early Years Update

• SOCA noted updates on new school feasibility and design work for a new school at Mosshayne/Tithebarn in Exeter, and expansion of Cranbrook Education Campus (increase in secondary numbers) will require a significant change process
• Feasibility work has been commissioned on a new site for Tipton St John C of E Primary; deliverability and potential costs are being reviewed. Noted complexities around 3^rd party land ownership.
• Noted a further significant flooding event occurred following recent storm, highlighting an ongoing significant safeguarding risk to children on site which governors are managing.  Feel that a decision around the DfE rebuild of the school at a suitable location will be treated as a priority.
• SEND developments aligning to the Devon SEND Sufficiency Strategy – New SEN Hubs being developed at Cullompton, Exmouth and Barnstaple (The Park School), subject to capital approval and completion of significant change processes.
• Bespoke SEND provision now completed at Tiverton and Barnstaple sites of the Exeter & N Devon College.  Exeter site and South Devon College site SEN developments due to be completed Sept 26.
• SOCA noted changes to DfE school organisation guidance around school based nursery provision, and requirements linked to phased closure of sixth form provision.
• 12 school applications have been submitted for Phase 2 of the DfE school based nursery grant.  Phase 3 now open for applications.
• Mill Water – Proposed changes at Mill Water School include changing age range to remove sixth form provision, increasing planned pupil numbers from 100 to 130 and acquiring an additional satellite site at Seaton.
• Shaugh Prior – DCC has recently concluded a consultation on the future of Shaugh Prior school which has been under-subscribed for several years with currently only 2 pupils on roll and educated off-site (at Cornwood Primary) since Sept 25.  Consultation feedback from local community was linked to future use of the school site.
• Small Schools – The local authority is strategically considering the impact of demographic drop off and ongoing sustainability of several very small rural schools.  Feel that DfE recognises the current regional pressure on small rural school viability. 
• Changes to age range – consultations  regarding Wynstream and Winkleigh
• Academisation – Tiverton High School joined Blackdown Education Partnership (BEP) from 1 March 2026.  Clyst Vale Community College exploring joining BEP. Rackenford Primary exploring joining TEAM MAT.
• The Promise School – noted the significant joint effort from Dartmoor MAT, Wave, DCC and DfE to consider a new site for the school following the recent devastating fire.  There has been a particularly devastating impact on the school community.  Wave MAT have been providing support.  Educational Psychologist support has been put in place for staff and pupils.

5. Capital Programme Update

• SOCA noted the current progress of 60 capital scheme projects; volume of reactive and urgent work continues to increase.
• This situation is impacting significantly on the condition of buildings and on strategic use of contingency.  Heads and the LA are struggling to maintain school buildings to a safe and acceptable condition.
• SOCA noted the high needs provision capital schemes ongoing at Mill Water (Seaton site) and Pathfield expansion and new primary school at Cranbrook (Cobdens), amongst others.
• Legislation and Governance updates – SOCA noted changes published in the DfE Education Estates Strategy 2026. This focuses on future alignment between responsible bodies and the DfE with a requirement to monitor compliance and report to the DfE.
• Local Authority-led condition data collection will align with DfE standards with national roll-out from 2027.
• Strategic Asset Management Plans will need to be produced for all schools. To include climate risk assessments; school estates must prepare for net-zero readiness
• School Rebuilding Programme 2026 –  application window is currently open, closing on 23/4/26.  SOCA considered the key requirements around demonstrating rebuilding need where buildings are in ‘very poor condition’ and large-scale rebuilding or refurbishment is the necessary and most efficient option.  Katherine Crompton to follow up issues with DfE including listed building status. 
• ACTION: KC to share information through Schools Priority Alerts.
• Built Environments team will lead on this for maintained school estate.

Future meeting dates (via Teams)

• Tuesday 19 May 2026
• Tuesday 22 September 2026
• Tuesday 1 December 2026
• Tuesday 2 March 2027