The Cabinet Member with the Children and Young People Portfolio introduced the report of the Group Director of People (previously circulated) requesting that consideration be given to the Local Authority’s admission arrangements (also previously circulated) for the 2023/24 academic year for maintained schools in the Borough.
The submitted report stated that in line with the School Admissions Code, an Admission Authority was required to annually determine the admission arrangements used to allocate places for schools for which it was the admission authority; all Admission Authorities were required to consult on their admission arrangements and co-ordinated scheme at least once every seven years; and that this Council had consulted with the appropriate bodies within the required timescales. Consultation had taken place on the reduction of the published admission number for Harrowgate Hill Primary School from 90 to 60 for the 2023/24 entry and that with the introduction of the new School Admissions Code in September 2021, consultation had been undertaken, in order to adopt a scheme for 2023/24, that met the requirement pertaining to in-year admission arrangements. It was reported that no comments had been received to the consultation and that an Equality Impact Assessment had been undertaken.
RESOLVED - That the admission arrangements, as appended to the submitted report, for the three maintained primary schools in Darlington for entry in 2023/24 and for the administration of in-year applications thereafter, be approved.
REASON - All admission authorities are under a statutory duty to determine admission arrangements for schools for which it was the admission authority every academic year.