An updated Admissions Code has been published and comes into effect on 1st September. This isn't a major overhaul but there are some changes:
- PAN now only applies to the normal year of entry. Admission to other years cannot now be refused on the basis that the year is full to PAN. However, admission can still be refused on the basis that it will prejudice the school. I doubt this will make any practical difference.
- The requirement to give top priority to looked after and previously looked after children has now been extended to include children who were in state care outside England and were adopted from state care. State care in this instance includes being cared for by a religious organisation or some other care provider whose purpose is to benefit society. This change applies to 2022 admissions so existing published admission arrangements must be amended to comply.
- The current Code makes it clear that schools cannot prioritise based on practical or financial help parents give to the school or any associated organisation. The new Code clarifies that this includes donations, paid work or voluntary activity that supports or benefits the school, associated organisations or employees either directly or through work in the community.
- When measuring distance, the selection of a "nodal point" from which distance will be measured must be made on reasonable grounds and clearly explained.
- A clarification has been added explaining that the requirement to notify parents of the outcome of selection tests before the closing date for applications does not extend to banding tests.
- Determination of the admission arrangements must be recorded in the minutes of the meeting of the governors/trust at which this occurs.
- The admission arrangements must be published on the school's or LA's website by 15th March.
- A school cannot give priority to someone just because they have completed a Supplementary Information Form. So, if it is clear from the information submitted to the LA that the child falls into a particular admissions category, they must be placed in that category even if no SIF has been submitted. I doubt this will make much practical difference - most SIFs are to record attendance at church and have to be signed by the priest/minister, so you won't get priority on faith grounds without that.
- It has now been clarified that, where a school is its own admission authority, the committee that decides whether to admit children can meet virtually.
- A footnote informs readers that most applications for summer born children to be admitted out of their normal age group will come from parents of children born in late summer or prematurely. I have no idea why they felt it necessary to add this statement. It does not alter anything.
- The arrangements for children of UK service personnel and crown servants have been clarified. Previously the Code suggested that a unit postal address or quartering area address was needed. It is now clear that an application must be processed even if the parents don't have an intended address. If the parents can provide some evidence of an intended address, that can be used for admissions purposes. There is no longer any requirement for a unit or quartering address, although parents can still ask for that to be used.
- The LA's co-ordinated admissions scheme must now cover late applications, which are defined as those made before the start of the school year but too late for an offer to be made on national offer day (this definition is not new but, worryingly, the LGO recently got it wrong, accepting an LA's argument that an application made in May was an in-year application).
- Several paragraphs have been added covering in-year applications. The only real change here is that LAs and admission authorities are required to publish on their website information as to how in-year applications can be made. I think most, if not all, LAs already do this. It also clarifies that in-year applications must be determined using the school's current admission criteria.
- Parents should be informed of the outcome of an in-year application in writing within 10 school days and must be informed within 15 school days. For grammar schools, the clock starts running when the child takes the entry test. If the application is successful, the child must be admitted as soon as possible
- When dealing with in-year applications for a year other than the normal year of entry, a school with a high proportion of pupils with challenging behaviour or pupils who have been permanently excluded can refuse admission if it has good reason to believe the child may display challenging behaviour. Previously they could only refuse pupils who had been permanently excluded from two or more schools.
- There are a number of tweaks around Fair Access Protocols of which the most significant is that, whereas the Code used to list 7 categories of children that must be included and left it open to LAs to extend this list, the new Code lists 13 categories but makes it clear that these are the only categories that can be included.
- The deadline for LAs to produce their annual report on admissions has been moved from 30th June to 31st October.
That pretty much covers it. If anyone has any questions I will be glad to answer them if I can.