Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 12 November 2015.

The Minutes (copies of which had been circulated) of the meeting on 12 November 2014 were approved as a correct record.

Councillors and Officers are invited to declare any interest which they have in any of the items on the agenda for the meeting.

The following interest was declared:-

Personal Interests

Councillor                                                     Interest

Colin Foster                                      Agenda item 3 as a governor of Norris Bank Primary School.

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The report outlines the admission arrangements and Published Admission Numbers to be determined for 2016/17.

The Forum is requested to consider the information items and results of the admissions consultation and consider the recommendations outlined in the report.

Officer contact: Phil Beswick on 0161 474 3832 or email: phil.beswick@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director, Services to People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) in relation to Admission Arrangements for 2016/17, including the outcome of consultation in relation to catchment areas for Maintained Primary Schools in 2016/17; admission arrangements for Maintained Primary Schools in 2016 /17; and Stockport Local Authority School Terms and Holiday dates 2016/17.

Councillor Foster requested that his decision to absent himself from the Governor’s meeting of Norris Bank Primary school whilst the issue of the catchment area for the school was considered be recorded.

The Forum discussed the implications of amending the catchment areas for Norris bank Primary School, St Thomas’ CE Primary and Tithe Barn Primary School and the views of respondents to the consultation and the Governing Bodies of the schools. The Forum noted that the proposed revised scheme addressed the concerns of a large number of parents who had commented on the proposed changes to the catchment area of Norris Bank Primary School.

The Forum also discussed the implications of changing the oversubscription criteria to comply with a previous decision of the Office of the Schools Adjudicator and the need to ensure that the changes were well publicised. 

The Forum considered the outcome of the consultation on options for school terms and holiday dates at maintained primary and secondary schools in the Borough for the academic year 2016/17.

RESOLVED – (1) That with the exception of the item contained in the consultation document in relation to Norris Bank Primary School, St Thomas’ CE Primary School and Tithe Barn Primary School, the Local Authority recommends that the 2016/17 admission arrangements for all other maintained schools in Stockport be determined unchanged from those determined for 2015/16;

(2) That the Local Authority supports the revised proposal to change the catchment area for Norris Bank Primary School, St Thomas’ CE Primary School and Tithe barn Primary School;

(3) That the Local Authority supports the introduction of interim criteria for an initial 3 year period from 2016/17, thereafter to be reviewed each year prior to determination; and

(4) that the Local Authority supports the view of the majority of respondents that two weeks at Whit for primary schools should be maintained.

The Forum is requested to agree a date for the next meeting.

RESOLVED – That no further meeting of the Forum be arranged at this moment in time and that the next meeting be arranged by the Democratic Services Manager, in consultation with the Chair.