The School Admissions code and the School Admissions Appeals code set out the roles and responsibilities of local authorities and state-funded schools to promote a fair, transparent and consistent process for children to be admitted into school.
Devon as the local authority must:
- provide information to parents about the admission arrangements and schools in the area
- co-ordinate normal round admissions for parents for all state-funded schools
- operate a fair access protocol
- have oversight of in-year admissions
- formulate admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled schools
- manage in-year applications for community and voluntary controlled schools
- recruit and train panel members and clerks to facilitate appeals for community and voluntary controlled schools
- ensure that admission arrangements comply with the codes
- provide a common application form for parents for the normal round and in-year
- send outcome letters to parents for all normal round applications
- report annually on admissions to the Office of the Schools adjudicator
- collate and publish admission arrangements for all schools in a composite prospectus
- collaborate with schools to provide new schools to children where a school is closed
- publish the annual report and its own co-ordination scheme and other policies
- define a relevant area for admissions purposes
- refer objections to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator if it considers the admission arrangements of another authority are unlawful.
Admission authorities for schools must:
- formulate and determine admission arrangements annually
- consult publicly on admission arrangements as required by the code with appropriate consultees within the Devon relevant area
- publish their own admission arrangements
- provide a copy of admission arrangements to the LA and Diocese (where applicable)
- rank application lists according to the school’s oversubscription criteria and return them to the LA
- inform the LA of any intention to increase the published admission number or to admit above the PAN
- recruit and train panel members and clerks to facilitate appeals
- provide information the LA for inclusion in the composite prospectus on admission arrangements
- hold meetings to consider and to formally determine an admissions policy annually
- operate a waiting list at least until the end of the first autumn term in the normal round year
- respond to challenge and objections against admission arrangements
- check applications where address fraud is suspected
- consult on and determine arrangements for applications to receive direct from parents (if not participating in in-year co-ordination), including a lawful application form, and notify the LA of all applications as they are received and their outcomes
- participate in the fair access protocol
- provide for part-time, delayed and deferred admission into a reception class
- respond formally to all requests for places to be allocated out of a child’s chronological year group
- provide for requests for admission out of a child’s chronological year group
- provide for earlier applications for children of UK service personnel.
To support all schools fairly in meeting their statutory requirements, Devon has extended its admissions traded service to all own admission authority schools on the same basis as it is provided for community and voluntary controlled schools.
The Admissions Team offers all mainstream state-funded schools and academies in Devon a complete service for admissions and appeals.
All functions listed above will be supported to cover:
- policy formulation, consultation and advice through determination and objection
- ranking applications against oversubscription criteria, including distance measurement
- managing the application process for schools at normal round and in-year
- advising schools in response to all admissions-related queries, complaints, formal objections and challenges
- managing the appeals process
- defending appeals on behalf of the school.
Through this service, own admission authority schools retain the decision-making authority regarding policies and in response to admissions applications. The LA will advise and guide with the aim of protecting the school from unintentionally acting unfairly or unlawfully.
Any own admission authority schools choosing not to be part of these arrangements must be aware of their statutory responsibilities.
We hope that all schools will take up this offer of advice and support through all admissions functions.
For advice and support please contact the Admissions Team on 0345 155 1019.