Admissions and Place Planning Forum

The Council has established an Admissions and Place Planning 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 is made up of:

Members of Newham Council
Local Authority Officers
Head Teacher Representatives (nursery, primary and secondary) from
Academies, Community Schools and Faith Schools
Parent Governors and representatives of the local community.

School Admissions Forum (PDF)

Key roles and objectives of the School Admissions Forum

To widely promote the role of the forum, its responsibilities, and agreed powers
Remind that any party seeking change or challenge current school admission processes are required to submit their challenge via a member of the forum
Represent the forum and publicise the importance of its 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 existing determined arrangements, the Admissions Code, local protocols and agreements. Challenge where they are not clear, transparent, logical or child focused
Work with local authority officers to create 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 togetherness
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 an objection if an admission authority consults on a proposed change to their admission arrangements that is not presented to the forum and does not meet the statutory and local need
Refer an objection to the Schools Adjudicator where it identifies admissions policy, practice or oversubscription criteria of a school that may be unfair, unlawful or that go against 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 ‘local offer’ including the advice relating to 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 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 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 so as 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 negatively affect the provision of education or the 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.

The Admissions and Place Planning Forum will also 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 goes against the mandatory provisions of this Code, or where its advice has been ignored by admission authorities.

Frequency and minutes

Meetings will be held once per school term: