Decision details

5.1  The committee considered both the results of the questionnaire and an email a couple of parents had sent the chair, alongside the Admissions report that went to OSC at the end of last administrative year.

5.2  Members first discussed the questionnaire and it was noted that many parents found the range of schools’ admissions criteria difficult. Officers and members considered this to be an intractable problem, given the national choice agenda.

5.3  It was noted by members that parents scored 'satisfaction with communication received after the offer letter' a little low. Officers explained the school preference service met this need and that having meeting space to see parents in Tooley Street could improve matters.

5.4  Members commented that there was also a lower score given by parents who access special needs schools in a different way if their child has a statement of special needs. Questionnaire respondents requested more information, both for this process and the mainstream process used by parents/cares with a child with special needs but without a statement. Officers were asked to look into this.

5.5  There was a comment by a member that at least one school held their open day after the closing date for applications. This meant one member's child changed her mind, but it was too late.  This might be a blip, however this may be a problem this year as there was a report that some schools have opening days advertised in November, after the end of October closing day.

5.6  Officers welcomed the survey and said they had already taken note of the results and comments and started to action; for example they are working to make the Guides easier to navigate and working with the Parent Participation Forum to do this.

5.7  The issue of the number of tests for entry to secondary schools was revisited; it was noted that a reduction too two is an improvement, but not ideal.

5.8  The chair read out the text of the email received from two parents raising issues concerning the admission process. This is pasted in full below:

Dear Mr Hubber

We are aware that you are holding a meeting of the above committee tomorrow evening at Southwark Town Hall, and sincerely hope you will find time to address the following issues that we and many other year 6 parents in Southwark have experienced recently.

Southwark Education Services

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This is the department we turn to for information and advice. Sadly on the many occasions we have telephoned, we have been less than happy with the information provided. For example one operator said "you have until the 31 August to appeal against the school". This is not the case. Last week we called to find out if there were a school in Southwark who used the random allocation process when it came to school admissions. No was the response, he also confirmed this with a manager. When asked about Kingsdale, the operator was only too happy to read out the criteria from the Secondary Schools booklet.

you could hear him almost choking on the words “remaining places would be offered using random allocation process".

THIS IS THE DEPARTMENT THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP AND GUIDE PARENTS THROUGH WHAT CAN BE AN ENORMOUSLY TRAUMATIC TIME!

Now we move on to the schools in Southwark and their different admissions criteria, Kingsdale in particular. Can you explain it?? An representative of the Education Advisory Panel, [xxxxx] visited Dog Kennel Hill School to provide some assistance after the 01 March. This was because SO MANY Southwark children did not receive offers, or received a school offer that was not on their original application. He had visited Kingsdale school the previous day and still could not explain the process to us, as it is complicated at best.

At the moment there are appeals being heard at Kingsdale, and it is only now that we are discovering the waiting list was generated by a priest! Not a computer system, but a man drawing names from three separate pots! Who decided this was a fair and appropriate process and would guarantee authenticity of process?

Having contacted other Local Authorities, it seems that Southwark is the ONLY borough that will offer a place to non-residents UNCONDITIONALLY. I Southwark children who apply to schools in Wandsworth, must sit a test and get a very high score (last year 98.6%) before they are even considered for a school place.

Does this sound/seem fair to you, given that at least 40 children in this borough received absolutely NO OFFER whatsoever, in the knowledge that Kingsdale is catering for many children outside of it's LA!!

We look forward to hearing from you and hope to attend tomorrow's meeting.

5.9  The meeting discussed the following points:

• Parents applying to Kingsdale did not feel the process was clear , transparent or fair
• The query raised by parents via the Southwark switchboard should have been forwarded to the Admissions team as it was too complex to be dealt with by the call centre
• Officers explained that random selection is permissible under the Admissions code

 RESOLVED

The Admissions report agreed by OSC will go to the cabinet along with the results of the questionnaire.

Officers undertook to look to improve information given to parents with a child with special needs / a statement of special needs.