A report asking the Committee to determine the School Admission Arrangement for 2022 to 2023.

The Director of Children’s Services, Brighter Futures for Children, submitted a report that invited the Committee to agree the determination of school admission arrangements for September 2022 as follows:

• The admissions arrangements for Community Primary Schools in Reading for the school year 2022/23.
• The coordinated scheme for primary and junior schools for the 2022/23 school year.
• The coordinated scheme for secondary schools for the 2022/23 school year.
• The Relevant Areas.
• Maps of the catchment areas.

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

The report explained that a new admissions code for local authorities would be laid before Parliament in early 2021 and a further report would be submitted to a future meeting once the code had been published if any amendments to existing arrangement were required.  It was anticipated that there was likely to be changes in the areas of domestic violence and children in need. In addition, BFfC was reviewing the admission arrangement for children and young people with SEND and a report on the outcomes of the review would be submitted to the Committee in March 2021.

Resolved –

(1)     That the scheme attached to the report at Annexes A, B and C as the admissions arrangements for 2022/23 for community schools in Reading and the local arrangements for complying with the national coordinated primary school admission procedures for the allocation of primary school places for residents of Reading Borough be agreed;

(2)     That the scheme attached to the report at Annex D as the local arrangements for complying with the national coordinated secondary admissions procedure for the allocation of secondary school places for 2022/23 for residents of Reading Borough be agreed;

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

(4)     That a further report be submitted to a future meeting once the new admissions code has been laid before Parliament in early 2021;

(5)     That a report be submitted to the Committee in March 2021 following a review of SEND admissions policies and arrangements.