Agenda item

Almondbury Community School

To provide Children’s Scrutiny Panel with an update on the implementation of the Council’s decision to change the age range of Almondbury Community School from the 1st September 2020.

 

Contact Officer: Jo-Anne Sanders, Service Director (Learning and

                             Early Support)

                             Martin Wilby, Senior Strategic Manager (Education Places                            and Access)

 

Decision:

1.    The Panel noted the update on the implementation of the Council’s decision to change the age range of Almondbury Community School from the 1st September 2020 and thanked Martin Wilby and Jo-Anne Sanders for their contributions.

2.    The Panel agreed to continue to monitor progress on the implementation of the Council’s decision to change the age range of Almondbury Community School from the 1st September 2020 via future Panel meetings and Lead Member Briefings.

 

Minutes:

The Panel considered an update on the implementation of the Council’s decision to change the age range of Almondbury Community School from the 1st September 2020 presented by Martin Wilby, Senior Strategic Manager (Education Places and Access) and Jo-Anne Sanders, Service Director (Learning and Early Support).

 

Martin Wilby advised the Panel that an email had been sent to all parents and carers of children affected by the proposals on Friday 13th December 2019 informing them that letters had been sent to offer a school place to match the preferences made by parents and carers for either King James’s School, Netherhall Learning Campus High School or Newsome High School.  The Panel was informed that the email to parents had contained information regarding the fact that the Council had offered financial support in relation to the provision of uniform items which contained school branding.  Martin Wilby explained that a school uniform voucher would be provided for each child and in cases where children had already moved to their new school via an in-year admission, a financial contribution would be made to any branded uniform already purchased.

 

The Panel was informed that there had been a small number of non-returns of preferences, but officers were continuing to make contact with these families.  Martin Wilby advised the Panel that where no preference had been made, a place had been allocated at the child’s catchment school, but parents could still make a change to this decision by contacting Kirklees.  Martin Wilby advised that officers were tracking all parents to ensure a response had been received in every case.

 

Martin Wilby advised that the consultation process had started on the proposed changes to the catchment areas in that King James’s School, Netherhall Learning Campus High School and Newsome High School would become part of Almondbury Community School’s catchment area, which would match the current temporary admission arrangements in place approved by the Adjudicator and normalised those arrangements for the future.  The Panel was informed that Stakeholders had been invited to comment on the consultation process and that their feedback would be taken into account when decisions were made in 2020.

 

The Panel agreed that the offer of financial support towards branded uniform was positive and welcomed this.  The Panel were also pleased to hear that all parents were being tracked where no response had been received. 

 

In response to a question from the Panel regarding concerns raised by parents in relation to transport, Martin Wilby advised that the Council was aware of 3 cases where help with transport costs had been requested and that these cases were being looked at individually. 

 

The Panel agreed to continue to monitor progress on the implementation of the Council’s decision to change the age range of Almondbury Community School from the 1st September 2020 via future Panel meetings and Lead Member Briefings.

 

RESOLVED –

1.    The Panel noted the update on the implementation of the Council’s decision to change the age range of Almondbury Community School from the 1st September 2020 and thanked Martin Wilby and Jo-Anne Sanders for their contributions.

2.    The Panel agreed to continue to monitor progress on the implementation of the Council’s decision to change the age range of Almondbury Community School from the 1st September 2020 via future Panel meetings and Lead Member Briefings.

 

Supporting documents: