Consultation on Shropshire school admission arrangements 2018/19

Proposal

In accordance with mandatory requirements, Shropshire Council, as the admission authority for all of its community and voluntary controlled schools, has a duty to consult on proposed changes to admission arrangements. 

No significant changes are proposed to the arrangements for community and controlled schools in 2018/19. However, it is proposed to merge the designated catchment area of Hope CE Primary School, Worthen CE Primary School and St Mary's CE Primary School Westbury, subject to consolidation of provision onto the current Worthen CE Primary School site. (Please refer to Map A)

Minor changes are also proposed to the designated catchment area at secondary transfer to align with the primary designated catchment area. This will affect a small number of residents located at Hope Bagot, Hemford and Roughton. Each resident potentially affected will also be consulted individually. (Please refer to Map B-D)

St Giles CE Primary School in Shrewsbury has proposed a slight reduction in their published admission number from 46 to 45 to enable better class organisation.

In addition to the above, consultation will run simultaneously on proposed changes to admission arrangements for own admission authority schools, such as academies and foundation schools.  We will coordinate responses to these. 

St John's Catholic Primary School in Bridgnorth and the academy trust of William Brookes School have proposed changes to their oversubscription criteria.

Shrewsbury Academy Trust has also proposed a reduction in their published admission number of 50 places per year group.

Lacon Childe School has proposed a change to their oversubscription criteria which would give priority to children of members of staff employed at the school. They've also proposed a change which would give priority to children attending primary schools which are members of their academy trust over children attending the other feeder-linked primary schools.

The proposed admission arrangements are laid out in the attached documents.  Consultation must take place for a period of six weeks, and will last from 16 December 2016 until 27 January 2017.

The proposed changes are summarised as follows:  

• Shropshire Council's admission arrangements  to remain mostly unchanged. However, it is proposed to merge the designated catchment area of Hope CE Primary School, Worthen CE Primary School and St Mary's CE Primary School Westbury, subject to consolidation of provision onto the current Worthen CE Primary School site

• Minor changes to the designated catchment area at secondary transfer to align with the primary designated catchment area. This will affect a small number of residents located at Hope Bagot, Hemford and Roughton

• Responsibility continues to be delegated to schools for mid-term (in-year) admissions and admission to school sixth forms.  Individual admission policies relating to these can be found on schools' own websites

• Shrewsbury Academy Trust is proposing a reduction to its published admission number from 237 to 187 per year group, resulting in a reduction of 250 places across the two school sites at Corndon Crescent and Worcester Road

• The academy trust of William Brookes School is proposing to add children of staff members to their oversubscription criteria

• St. John's Catholic Primary School, Bridgnorth is prioritising all looked-after children, regardless of whether they are baptised Catholic children

• Lacon Childe proposes to give priority to members of staff and children attending primary schools which are members of their academy trust over other feeder linked primary schools