Admissions Forum

The Council has established an Admissions Forum to consult and discuss school admission issues. It is a consultative and advisory body, and not a decision taking body.

​The forum enables us to consider how local arrangements can best service the interest of families and how these arrangements coordinate with other associated factors such as planning of school places and making provision for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). ​

The forum makeup

The forum is for made up of:

  • Members of Newham Council
  • Local Authority Officers
  • Head Teacher Representatives (nursery, primary and secondary) from
  • cademies, Community Schools and Faith Schools
  • Parent Governors and representatives of the local community.
Key roles and objectives
  • widely promote their role, responsibilities, and agreed powers
  • remind that any party seeking change to or challenging of the current processes or protocols relating to any aspects of schools admissions, are required to submit their representations via a member of the forum
  • represent the forum and publicise the importance of it’s role at head teachers meetings including Newham Association of Secondary Headteachers (NASH), Newham Association of Primary Headteachers (NAPH) and Primary Partnership Board (PPB)
  • promote best practice in the application of the existing determined arrangements, the Admissions Code, local protocols and agreements and challenge where they are not clear, transparent, rationale or child focused
  • work with local authority officers to formulate proposed admission arrangements and develop new or existing processes/protocols relating to school admissions ensuring they are fair, clear, transparent, best serve the community and promote community cohesion
  • review and consider how well the existing and proposed admission arrangements for each academy and school located within the LB Newham serve the interests of the local children, young people and families.
  • raise a collective objection during consultation where an admission authority consults on a proposed change to their admission arrangements that is not presented to the admissions forum and does not meet the statutory and local need
  • refer an objection to the Schools Adjudicator where either it identifies admissions policy, practice or oversubscription criteria of a school that may be unfair, unlawful or that contravene the mandatory provisions of this Code, or where its advice has been disregarded by admission authorities
  • where appropriate refer non compliant arrangements to the Office of the Schools Adjudicator
  • consider evidence of alleged admissions malpractice
  • review the comprehensiveness and effectiveness of the ‘local offer’ including the advice relating information regarding SEND admission of advice and guidance for parents by the local authority, and the delivery of advice and support for families
  • review and provide constructive suggestion based on the needs of families regarding the two annual composite prospectus – Starting primary School and Starting Secondary School
  • consider the effectiveness of Pan London normal admissions and local In Year co-ordination, review the local authority data and other information to identify current or emerging themes and deliver recommendations
  • review and monitor admissions processes, see how they may be improved and how actual placements relate to the admission numbers published, for both normal and In Year admissions
  • monitor the admission of children who arrive in the authority’s area outside a normal admission round with a view to developing the Fair Access protocol to ensure fair distribution of such children among local schools, taking account of any preference expressed and local challenges
  • work with officers to ensure the arrangements for children with special educational needs, children in care and children who have been excluded from school or have a managed move are placed to best meet their needs
  • review local protocols to ensure they do not result in any school having a disproportionate number of challenging children that would prejudice the provision of efficient education or the efficient use of resources
  • work in partnership with the local authority to develop and implement the Fair Access protocol, then carry out annual reviews to monitor compliance and effectiveness.
Frequency and minutes

Last updated: 18/04/2019

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