School Admissions

Wednesday 29th February 2012, Guoman Charing Cross Hotel - London, 08:45 - 16:00

School Admissions: Equal Access for All

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Overview

It is important that the schools admission process is fair, offers equal opportunities for all children, and is accountable to parents. Official statistics published by the Department for Education show that more than 79,000 children – nearly one in six – missed out on a place at their first-choice secondary school for September 2011.

In the Schools White Paper, The Importance of Teaching, published in November 2010, the Government made the commitment to consult on a ‘simplified and less prescriptive' Admissions Code. The Department for Education published its proposed response to the Schools Admissions and Appeals Codes consultation on the 2nd November 2011. This draft regulation has now been laid before the public, with a second consultation published on the 10th November 2011, in order to come into force in February 2012, and thereby affect the allocation of places for children starting school in September 2013.

The two key proposals are firstly, the introduction of a new 'national offer day' for streamlining the primary school place offer system, and secondly, giving adopted children who were previously look after the same, highest priority for places as thay had as looked-after children. Other key areas of reform include allowing popular schools to increase their number of places, banning local authorities from using area-wide ‘lotteries’,reducing bureaucracy within the admissions process and allowing schools to give some priority to children of teachers and school staff. Through greater autonomy, schools will be able to be flexible to local needs, which will impact positively on standards.

Academies and Free schools will still be allowed to grant priority to children from the poorest backgrounds and those receiving the pupil premium – Sarah Teather, the Children and Families Minister, announced in September 2011 that funding for the pupil premium will increase to £1.25 billion in 2012 – 2012 to ensure a fair start for every child.

Dr. Elizabeth Passmore has been announced as the new Chief Schools Adjudicator, who will be able to consider admissions objections about all maintained schools and academies. She will be a strong advocate for ensuring that the admissions system is fair and transparent. Local authorities will retain the power to refer any admissions arrangements they believe are not complying with the code to the Schools Adjudicator.

Agenda

This timely and informative forum will offer delegates the opportunity to understand changes to the schools admissions system, and will offer case studies offering best-practice guidelines for offering simpler, fairer, and more transparent processes in the allocation of schools places.

08:45	Registration and Coffee
09:30	Chair’s Welcome Address Baroness Perry of Southwark, Vice-Chair, All-Party Parliamentary Group for Education (CONFIRMED)
09:40	Morning Keynote: The New Admissions Code - Ensuring the Admissions System Offers Equal Access for All Revising the Schools Admissions Code and School Appeals Code Promoting equity and fair access for all Allowing good schools to expand Removing ‘lotteries’ – what impact will this have on ensuring equal access? Making admissions easier for parents to understand Ensuring that safeguards for vulnerable groups are central to the admissions system Paul Dalgleish, Assistant Director, School Choice, Organisation and Fair Access Division, Department for Education (CONFIRMED)
10:00	Special Keynote: Regulating the Admissions System - Enacting the Legislative Changes The role of the new Chief Schools Adjudicator Reducing bureaucracy within admissions Improving fairer access What role will local authorities have in improving access to schools? How will the new code affect academies and free schools? Dr. Elizabeth Passmore, Chief Adjudicator, Office of the Schools Adjudicator (CONFIRMED)
10:20	Questions and Answers Session
10:40	Coffee Break and Networking
11:10	Developing a Fair Admissions Policy Best-practice for consulting on the admissions process – ensuring this is sufficient Ensuring that the voices of all stakeholders are heard The impact of free school and academies on local school’s intakes Ensuring that parents are informed of the process Councillor Tim Hall, Lead Member for Education, Surrey County Council (CONFIRMED)
11:30	Access and Admissions for Looked After and Adopted Children The admissions system and looked after children – why do vulnerable children go to the lowest-attaining schools, despite having the highest priority in admissions? Will the priority for looked after children be affected by the greater control academies and free schools are being given over pupil entry? Strategies to ensure that vulnerable children go to outstanding schools The education bill grants increased autonomy to heads over exclusion – ensuring that this is not to the detriment of looked after children Kevin Williams, Chief Executive Officer, Adolescent and Children’s Trust (tact) (CONFIRMED)
11:50	Questions and Answers Session
12:15	Lunch and Networking
13:15	Developing a Coordinated and Efficient Local Admissions Scheme London’s coordinated admissions system- successfully enabling more parents to be allocated a school of their preference by a fairer distribution of available offers Ensuring an effective and equal system Using software to increase efficiency Simplifying the applications proces Helen Jenner, Chair, Pan London Admissions Board (CONFIRMED)
13:35	Online School Admissions: Improving Service Efficiency and Service Quality The Benefits of Online School Admissions Overcoming barriers to digital delivery Ensuring digital services are accessible for all Improving efficiency, reducing costs and delivering benefits Ensuring that parents are informed of the processs Amanda Derrick, Programme Director, Connect Digitally, Hertfordshire County Council (CONFIRMED)
13:55	Questions and Answers Session
14:15	Coffee Break and Networking
14:35	Case Study: Overcoming Barriers to Equal Access in a Free School Criteria for admission and the impact of the new admissions code How does Compass school ensure equal access and fairer chances? Ensuring selection procedures are transparent and give a fair chance to all families Developing community wide inclusion - Reaching out to children from vulnerable backgrounds and deprived communities Prioritising disadvantaged children in the admissions process What proportion of places is offered to the poorest pupils? Ceri Evans, Trustee, Compass Schools Trust (CONFIRMED)
14:55	Case Study: Overcoming Barriers to Equality of Access in an Academy: The use of fair banding How Thomas Deacon Academy ensures equal access and fairer chances? Serving the community whilst retaining a comprehensive intake The changing nature of an intake Dr Alan McMurdo, CEO and Principal, Thomas Deacon Academy (CONFIRMED)
15:15	Closing Keynote: Reflections on the New Admissions Code Should all schools be able to give priority to children from disadvantaged backgrounds? Changes to class sizes – implication for teaching standards and attainment The impact of the decreased role of the local authorities Changes to local accountability Darren Northcott, National Official, Education, NASUWT (CONFIRMED)
15:35	Questions and Answers Session
16:00	Chair's Summary and Close of Conference

*programme subject to change without notice

Delegates will include head teachers and principals, school governors, directors of education, children and youth services, school secretaries, extended school managers, full service school coordinators, local authorities, parent teacher associations, elected members for education, school improvement advisors, education consultants, academia, private; and all those with an interest in this area.