Cabinet agrees school admissions arrangements for 2013/14

Shropshire Council’s Cabinet today (Wednesday 4 April 2012) agreed the schools admission policy for 2013/14 after discussing and taking on board views shared during consultation. 

Councils are required to determine admission and appeal arrangements before the school year in which applications are made. 

They need to ensure that, where schools are oversubscribed, the criteria is clear for allocating places, and that any policy is in line with the most recent Government legislation. 

Consultation on the arrangements for 2013/14 took place from December 2011 to February 2012. 

The arrangements include changes to the admission numbers of schools where requested, and changes to five catchment areas as a result of decisions on school organisation. 

After working with schools and their communities to look at the future of education in Shropshire for more than a year, the council’s Cabinet made decisions in 2011 on closing and extending schools and creating an all-through school. 

Responses to the consultation supported proposals for four catchments areas affected by school organisation decisions. Responses to the proposed catchment area for Maesbury Primary School put forward amendments and these have been taken into account. 

Cecilia Motley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for schools, said:

“We today discussed the consultation on schools admission arrangements and agreed a policy which feeds in the views shared during consultation. 

“During this time we were asked to look again at the proposed boundaries for the current catchment area of Maesbury Primary School, and agreed to changes in the light of these responses. 

“This policy is about being clear on how school places are allocated, and will help us to ensure we continue to perform well in meeting parental preferences for places.”