Issue - meetings

This report seeks Cabinet approval to the proposed admission arrangements for Brent community schools and schemes of co-ordination for 2026-27 in accordance with statutory requirements which require Admission authorities to determine their admission arrangements by 28 February in the determination year.

Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)        To agree (“determine”) the proposed admission arrangements for Brent community schools and schemes of co-ordination for all maintained schools and academies in Brent for the 2026/2027 academic year, as detailed within Appendices 1 and 2 of the report.

(2)        To note the scheme of co-ordination which would be in place for the 2026-2027 offer year for co-ordinated applications to start school in years Reception, 3, 7 and 10.

Eligible for call-in: Yes

Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Wednesday 22 January 2025

Councillor Grahl (Cabinet Member for Children, Young People & Schools) introduced a report outlining the proposed admission arrangements for Brent Community schools and Schemes of Coordination for 2026-27 (as set out within Appendices 1 & 2 of the report) which required determination and approval by the Admission Authority, in accordance with statutory requirements and timescales.

In considering the report, Cabinet noted the key aim within the proposed admission arrangements and schemes of co-ordination for all maintained schools and academies to ensure that every child in Brent had the opportunity to access high-quality education as a means of establishing the foundation for their future success and wellbeing.  In recognising the financial challenges being experienced by many schools in relation to falling pupil numbers and increased demand for SEND provision the establishment of effective admission arrangements was therefore recognised as more than an administrative requirement, with the need for a clear and transparent process regarded as key in ensuring places continued to be allocated in a fair way enabling the needs of young people and their families to be prioritised and addressed.

Officers and schools were thanked for their support to ensure that the approach established enabled children from all backgrounds across the borough to have access to local schools, supporting community cohesion and providing a stable environment for families, with the Scheme of Coordination outlined in the report also highlighted as an essential part of the admissions process in terms of providing clarity and structure and in maintaining work being undertaken across maintained schools and academies to ensure that children could transition smoothly and equitably into educational provision.

In noting the importance in terms of the forward planning for provision of school places across the borough, given the need to balance demand for school places with the availability of high-quality provision, across the family of schools in Brent, members also recognised the way in which the proposed arrangements would also support provisions within the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill relating to school places in a way that would also provide certainty for schools, assisting them to plan ahead and continue delivering the best possible education for young people across the borough.

In welcoming the transparent nature of the arrangements, given the importance and impact of the school admission process on families and young people, members commended what they felt to be the thorough and fair nature of the proposals outlined in relation to maintained schools and academies across the borough.

In support of the transparent nature of the approach outlined, Cabinet therefore RESOLVED:

(1)        To agree (“determine”) the proposed admission arrangements for Brent community schools and schemes of co-ordination for all maintained schools and academies in Brent for the 2026/2027 academic year, as detailed within Appendices 1 and 2 of the report.

(2)        To note the scheme of co-ordination which would be in place for the 2026-2027 offer year for co-ordinated applications to start school in years Reception, 3, 7 and 10.