Decision details

The Executive will be asked to approve the admissions criteria for the Borough’s schools for the 2011/12 academic year and beyond, in the light of the recommendations of the Admissions Forum following an extensive consultation

Received a report on the Barking and Dagenham Admissions Forum’s recommended changes to the School Admissions Policy (SAP), which applies to all community nursery, infant, junior, primary and secondary schools in the Borough. 

The Forum proposed two changes, namely the removal of the ‘neighbourhood area’ criterion for nursery, infant, junior and primary places and the use of straight-line measuring (as the crow flies) for distances to all community schools.  Although the response to the extensive consultation programme was extremely low it was noted that the majority of those who did respond were in favour of the proposals. 

The issue of sibling connections had been raised by a number of respondents and the Corporate Director of Children’s Services confirmed that the Admissions Forum would be reviewing all of the comments received from the consultation.

Agreed, in line with the recommendations of the Admissions Forum, to:

  (i)  Adopt the revised School Admissions Policy for all community nursery and primary schools as set out at Appendix 1 to the report;

  (ii)  Adopt the revised School Admissions Policy for all community secondary schools as set out at Appendix 2; and

  (iii)  The Policies taking effect for admission arrangements for the 2011/12 academic year.