The Director of Children’s Services, Brighter Futures for Children, submitted a report that invited the Committee to determine:

·       The admissions arrangements for Community Primary Schools in Reading for the school year 2020/21;

·       The co-ordinated scheme for primary and junior schools for the 2020/21 school year;

·       The co-ordinated scheme for secondary schools for the 2020/21 school year;

·       The Relevant Area;

·       Maps of the catchment areas.

Copies of the schemes, policies, relevant area and maps were appended to the report.

The report explained that the Council had last consulted on its School Admission Policy in 2015 and due to minor amendments to the Policy and the requirement that Admission Authorities, in order to comply with the School Admission Code, had to consult at least every seven years, it was decided that the authority should consult on its 2020/2021 Policy.  The authority consulted, as set out in the Relevant Area 2019, during October to December 2018 using an online consultation.  In total there had been 94 responses to the consultation.   The School Admission Forum at its meeting on 16 January 2019 had considered all the responses and the policies presented for approval reflected the Forum’s discussions and decisions.  The report detailed the changes to the Primary and Secondary coordinated schemes and the changes to the Admission Policy for Community Primary, Infant and Junior Schools 2020-2021.

Resolved –

(1)      That the scheme attached at Annexes A, B and C as the admissions arrangements for 2020/21 for community schools in Reading and the local arrangements for complying with the national co-ordinated primary school admission procedures for the allocation of primary school places for residents of Reading Borough be agreed;

(2)      That the scheme attached at Annex D as the local arrangements for complying with the national coordinated secondary admissions procedure for the allocation of secondary school places for 2020/21 for residents of Reading Borough be agreed;

(3)      That the relevant area as attached in Annex E which sets out the organisations that must be consulted on any admissions arrangements for schools in Reading be agreed.