Schools Organisation, Capital and Admissions Group: Notes of meeting on 1 December 2025

Item 3. Admissions Consultation for 2027-28  

• Schools are reminded that they must ensure that Admission consultation details must be made available through newsletters or on the school website.

Item 4. In-Year Admissions Applications

• Having considered the impact on schools, other parents and on co-ordination of holding a place for a several months, SOCA endorsed a recommendation that Devon will not amend in year admission policy in line with a further Schools Adjudicator determination that any parent may apply for an in-year admission at any time, noting particular impact on local or vulnerable children who may need a place straight away. Further guidance may be sought.

Item 5. School Organisation & Early Years Update

• Schools have submitted applications for Phase 2 of the DfE School Based Nursery Capital Grant, and expressions of interest for Phase 3 funding.
• 3 former children’s centres moving to school ownership to facilitate expansion of provision through extension of the age range, with a further 4 under consideration.

Item 6. SW Norse Update

• Ongoing concern around provision of maintenance contracts, with performance meetings planned with service term contractors.
• Schools are encouraged to flag any concerns with contractor performance with the LA.
• Connect 2 system will be moving to a cloud-based arrangement.

Item 8. Capital Programme Update

• 16 capital maintenance schemes approved for 2026/27. Reactive estate maintenance support requests from schools are increasing.

Attendance

DCC

Katherine Crompton (Chair) – Capital Programme Manager,  Karen Worthington – Service Lead, Access to Education, Shona Meek – Senior School Organisation Officer, Andrew Brent – Senior Policy Officer, Fran Butler – Early Years & Childcare Sufficiency Lead, Heidi Watson-Jones – Executive Assistant (Inclusion & Learning)

Devon Schools Leadership Services

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

Special School Heads

DAG

Ian Rogers

Apologies

Stuart Allman – Pathfield School, Caroline Harding – NASUWT,

1. Minutes of previous meeting – 23 September 2025

• Outstanding Actions:
• Noted Childcare Sufficiency report will be considered by Cabinet in January.  Applications for School Based Nurseries capital funding in Devon is positive compared to other LAs.
• All other actions complete or in hand.
• The minutes were agreed as an accurate record.

2. Admissions – LA Annual Admissions Report 

• Schools are requested to raise any issues that they would like to see referred to in the Chief Schools Adjudicator next annual report. This will be drafted in the early part of the autumn term 2026.

3. Admissions – Consultation 2027-28

• Devon consults annually on admissions so that parents and other consultees can comment on changes to arrangements. All own admission authority mainstream schools are invited to take part in that consultation which is now open.
• Schools are reminded that they must ensure that consultation details must be made available through newsletters or on the school website.
• Noted that the Schools and Wellbeing Bill, when enacted, is likely to impact on the Schools Admissions Code in due course.
• Noted no proposed policy changes relating to school transport this year.  However, transport networks are regularly reviewed.
• SOCA noted the proposed additions and amendments for the model admission policies for all schools, the normal round co-ordinated admission scheme,  and the In-Year co-ordinated admission scheme.

4. Admissions – In Year Admissions Applications

• SOCA had previously considered a determination by the Schools Adjudicator relating to removing the time limitations for in year admission requests from families who are crown servants and UK service personnel.  All Devon admission authorities included that determination in their policies.
• Devon is not recommending amendment in line with a further determination indicating that any parent may apply for a place at the beginning of an academic year which may not be taken up for some time.  SOCA considered the implications around a school holding a place which could impact on children who may need a place straight away.
• Diocese colleagues shared concern about the potential implications for schools, transport coordination as well as families and siblings.
• DSLS colleagues endorsed the county position and thanked DCC for considering the impact on schools and families. DSLS undertook to take this issue back to school leaders for their consideration.
• Mindful that should a determination specific to Devon be made, that this position would need to be reviewed.
• SOCA endorsed the recommendation that no immediate action is taken and the determination is not implemented in Devon admission policy.

5. School Organisation and Early Years Update

• SOCA noted updates on new schools, expansions and relocations at Mosshayne, Cranbrook and Tipton St John.
• Noted revised approach to securing developer contributions, reflecting DfE guidance on cost per place which has risen significantly.
• Phase 2 applications for School Based Nursery Capital Grant to be submitted to DfE by 11 December – 16 of 28 timely responses have been supported by DCC, some of which have required significant change or non-statutory consultation processes.
• Noted that submissions from schools in Exeter and East locality have been lower than other areas.  Feel schools are mindful of demographic changes and have proposed expansion to support future sustainability. 
• Phase 3 expressions of interest are due to the DfE by 11 December.  Schools are encouraged to discuss proposals with the LA ahead of submission to ensure that these are appropriately developed.
• Sufficiency lead hoping to look at schools which do not have early years provision and encourage these to apply.
• 3 former children’s centres (South Brent, Holsworthy and Marpool) moving to school ownership, and being developed – the application window is extended to enable these schools to apply to funding for redevelopment.
• Hatherleigh, Great Torrington, Tavistock and Tiverton Children’s Centres currently being considered.
• Noted details of schools formally requesting changes to age ranges linked to the development of school based nursery provision.
• School Support sessions for maintained schools are being supported by place planning and EY sufficiency officers.
• NHS data for September 25 will be circulated to all schools by local learning community area and will outline future in-area pupil cohorts.
• Noted introduction of Families Receiving Additional Support (FRAS) funding.

6. SW Norse Update

• Noted some ongoing concerning statistics around maintenance of lifts and automatic doors. Progress meetings have taken place with GEZE to articulate performance concerns.  Performance meetings to take place with RJ Lifts with potentially an alternative solution to be explored.
• SOCA had previously asked for more information around communication with the contractors.
• Some concerns are being raised by schools about level of cost being requested by service term contractors. 
• Noted cost model for 26/27 DMP to be modelled.
• ACTION: DSLS to encourage schools to flag any concerns with Katherine.crompton@devon.gov.uk around unreasonable cost of repairs
• ACTION: KC / NC to communicate to schools with a summary of expected levels of performance and billing from service term contractors.
• Noted Connect 2, currently hosted by SW Norse on behalf of DCC will move to a cloud-based solution, but this will be at significant cost.  Devon is looking to procure a solution for a new version of Connect 2 from Concerto.  Church Schools to be included in any further procurement.

7. Capital Programme Update

• Capital Programme – Team supporting with a range of projects including: Mosshayne 210 place primary school development, next phase of Cranbrook Education Campus going to planning shortly, Cobdens Primary School to be developed in two phases
• School Rebuilding Programme – Tiverton High School  expected to join Blackdown Education Partnership in new year.  Details around rebuild currently being considered.  Swimbridge – will be going to planning soon.  Tipton St John – further feasibility work on a site in the village at request of DfE.
• SEND – progressing work around former Whipton Barton Children’s Centre for Ellen Tinkham Early Years satellite provision.
• Pathfields – feasibility for expansion
• Millwater satellite at Seaton development moving forward.
• Capital Maintenance Scheme – 16 schemes have been approved for 26/27. 
• Noted that reactive estate maintenance support requests from schools are increasing. 
• This is in part related to insufficient DfE funding to address all condition backlog priorities and in part due to the time lag between the real time data we have from quinquennial surveys and buildings deteriorating at schools before the LA has the budget to address and prioritise them.

Future meeting dates (via Teams)

• Tuesday 3 March 2026
• Tuesday 19 May 2026
• Tuesday 22 September 2026
• Tuesday 1 December 2026
• Tuesday 2 March 2027