Admissions in Church Schools - Reviewing your admission policy 22 June 2016 SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Statutory Framework - Admissions DfE School Admissions Code (SAC) Source of the regulations Office of the Schools Adjudicator (OSA) - Interprets the regulations, providing a ruling where there is a dispute - Rulings do not become binding precedents Admissions law SDBE guidance SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Statutory Framework - Appeals DfE School Appeals Code Source of the regulations Independent Appeal Panel - Interprets the regulations, providing a decision regarding whether to refuse the admission of a child was lawful On what grounds might an appeal be successful? SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

SAC – Requirements Section 14 - “Admission authorities must ensure that the practices and the criteria used to decide the allocation of school places are fair, clear and objective.” Section 14 - “Parents should be able to look at a set of arrangements and understand easily how places for that school will be allocated.” Para 1.8 – “Oversubscription criteria must be reasonable, clear, objective, procedurally fair” SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Task How would you define whether or not a policy was fair, clear and objective? SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Policy Components 1.Ethos statement 2.Published Admission Number (PAN) 3.Oversubscription criteria + tie-breaker - LAC/PLAC have first priority 4.Supplementary Information Form (SIF) 5.LA co-ordination (deadlines)/late applicants 6.Appeals 7.Waiting list 8.Deferred/part-time entry (if applicable) 9.Education outside chronological age group 10.Pupils with a statement or EHC Plan SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Admission authorities must determine their admission arrangements every year. An admission policy can only be changed if: 1)The consultation process prescribed by the SAC is followed; 2)Changes are necessary to comply with the mandatory provisions of the SAC. Policy Determination SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

SAC – Policy Determination Timetable July - OctConsult SDBE (prior to consulting others) 1 Oct – 31 January Consultation with all consultees - 6 week consultation period must fall within these dates and end no later than 31 January 31 January – 28 February Consider comments, determine admission arrangements and notify consultees. 15 MarchDetermine policy 15 March – 15 May Any person or body may object to the admission arrangements. From 15 MaySchools’ Adjudicator makes determination on objection. 2 monthsPolicy adjusted to comply to determination 12 SeptemberPublication of LA’s composite prospectus

Consultation Process Who? Diocesan Board The LA All admission authorities in LA Parents living in relevant area with children aged 2-18 Others with an interest How?By website (required) or When?Every 7 years unless changes made SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Consultation Archive SchoolPreviousNext St Luke’s, West Norwood– 2017/162024/25 Trinity, Lewisham– 2013/142020/21 Trinity Oaks, Horley – 2015/162022/23 All Saints’, Wimbledon –2015/162022/23 Saint Cecilia’s, Wandsworth– 2016/172023/24 St Michael’s, Southfields– 2017/182024/25 St Michael’s, East Wickham– 2016/172023/24 Archbishop Tenison, Croydon– 2015/162022/23 St Paul’s, Hook– 2012/132019/20 St Matthew’s, Wimbledon– 2017/182024/25 The Queen’s, Kew– 2017/182024/25 Limpsfield, Surrey– 2016/172023/24 All Saints, Carshalton– 2013/142020/21

Determination Timetable When?Every year by 28 February at full governing body meeting Who to notify? Diocesan Board The local authority (admissions) All schools in relevant area How and by when? Publish on website before 15 March + by to LA/SDBE SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

C of E School Admissions ‘… for church schools a decision on admissions policy uniquely challenges a governing body to decide how it should balance its wish to serve the community in general and its wish to nurture children from Christian homes in their faith.’ The Way Ahead: Church of England Schools in the New Millennium (Dearing Report 2001) SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Ethos statement Church of England School has a distinctive Christian ethos which is at the heart of this School and provides an inclusive, caring and supportive environment where children learn and flourish in a setting shaped by Christian values. We welcome applications from all members of the community and we ask all parents to respect the Christian ethos of our school and its importance to our community. SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Task What is the admission policy of your school designed to achieve? SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Purpose/appeal of C of E Schools  Practising Christian families  Non-Christian families who wish for an education based on clear moral values  Parents seeking the best possible local school for their child Are your admission criteria an authentic expression of the Gospel? SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Defining Church criteria Defining “Church”  Parish church and/or other Anglican churches  Other Christian churches  Local Anglican or Christian churches Defining Commitment  Attendance at worship  Involvement in the life of the church  Baptism SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Supplementary Information Form Principles  SIF must match criteria  SIF must not ask for irrelevant information  Completed almost exclusively by church families SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Task SDBE - Developing Church of England Education How well do your present arrangements accurately record and process information regarding faith-based criteria in compliance with the SAC?

Admission Policy Models  Foundation and open place model  Church priority model SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Foundation and open place  Agree the proportion of foundation and open places  Define “foundation”  Agree oversubscription criteria for foundation and open places  Agree what happens to surplus places in either category SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Foundation and open place SDBE - Developing Church of England Education Foundation places 1.Looked after children 2.Social/medical 3.Parish Church 4.Siblings 5.Other churches 6.Distance Open/Community places 1.Looked after children 2.Social/medical 3.Siblings 4.Children of other faiths 5.Distance

Church Priority Model 1.Looked after children 2.Social/medical 3.Parish Church 4.Other Christian churches 5.Siblings 6.Distance SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

SDBE Policy  Looked after & previously looked after children without reference to faith  2 nd priority for medical/social  Foundation and open place model preferred allowing limited priority for church applicants  Proportion of church applicants decided locally  Attendance at worship preferred to determine priority SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Task SDBE - Developing Church of England Education Oversubscription criteria – different alternatives

Revising your Policy Is the school over-subscribed? Are there developments in the community that will affect the school? Does the existing policy work? If not, are there particular criteria which create difficulties? What will the circumstances of the school be in two years time when this policy is applied? If the policy is amended substantially, who will be affected by the change? Can parents easily assess whether or not they fulfil the criteria? SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Pitfalls!  Definitions  Nursery criteria  Faith-based criteria  Matching SIF to criteria SDBE - Developing Church of England Education

Summary of good practice  Determine your arrangements every year by 28 February  Send final arrangements to SDBE, LA etc  Keep a record of consultations  Have a clear rationale for your criteria  Keep your website up-to-date SDBE - Developing Church of England Education