Purpose

Proposed decision –
To determine the primary and secondary school
co-ordinated admissions schemes for 2026 intake year and the
admission arrangements for Kent community and voluntary controlled
primary schools and the admission arrangements for Kent community
and voluntary controlled secondary schools for 2026 intake
year.
 
·     
Reason for the decision
Admission authorities are
legally required to determine admissions arrangements for their
schools by 28 February each year. It is intended that admissions
arrangements for schools where KCC is the admissions authority are
to remain broadly unchanged. It is proposed, however, to make changes to the
Published Admissions Number of the following schools, which are
proposed as a result of reduced forecasted demand in the locality
around the school:
 
·        
Sevenoaks Primary School - reduce Published
Admissions Number to 60
·        
Woodlands Primary School - reduce Published
Admissions Number to 60
·        
Tunbury
Primary School - reduce Published Admissions Number
to 60
·        
Downs View Infant School - reduce Published
Admissions Number to 60
·        
Bodsham
CofE Primary School - reduce Published Admissions
Number to 10
·        
Herne Bay Infant School – reduce Published
Admissions Number to 60
·        
Guston CofE Primary School - reduce Published
Admissions Number to 20 and addition of Service Pupil Premium
criterion.
 
 
Each consultation ran between
2 December 2024 and
13 January 2025.
 
Local Authorities are also
required to consult with all schools within their geographical
boundaries on an Admissions Scheme, which details how the
co-ordinated and in year admissions processes will operate for the
forthcoming year. This consultation ran between 10 December 2024 and 29
January 2025. 
 
Following the completion of all
consultations, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills is requested
to approve the proposed admission arrangements and
scheme.
 
Legal
Implications  
 
Section 13A of the Education Act 1996 states every admission
authority must, before the beginning of each school year determine
the admission arrangements which are to apply for that year 7.
Local authorities are required by Section 92 of the School
Standards and Framework Act and the Education (School Information)
(England) Regulations 2008 to publish admission arrangements for
all maintained schools in their area. Under section 88(1A) of the
School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (as inserted by section 42
of the Education and Inspections Act 2006) it is the duty of a
governing body of a community or voluntary controlled school, for
which a local authority is the admissions authority, to implement
any decision relating to the admission of pupils taken by the
admission authority. Similarly, under section 89(3A) of the 1998
Act and regulations, the governing body of a voluntary aided or
foundation school must implement a decision of the local authority,
made under the relevant co-ordinated admission arrangements,
whether a child should be granted or refused admission to the
school.  Failure to do so would amount
to a breach of the admission authority’s statutory
duty.     
 
 

Decision

As Cabinet Member
for Education and Skills, I agree to approve the determined
admission arrangements as set out below:
 
a)       The Coordinated
Primary Admissions Scheme 2026/27 incorporating the In Year
admissions process as detailed in Appendix A
 
b)       The Co-ordinated
Secondary Admissions Scheme 2026/27incorporating the In Year
admissions process and Kent Test process as detailed in Appendix
B
 
c)       The oversubscription
criteria relating to Community and Voluntary Controlled Infant,
Junior and Primary Schools in Kent 2026/27 as detailed in Appendix
C
 
d)       The oversubscription
criteria relating to Community and Voluntary Controlled Secondary
Schools in Kent 2026/27 as detailed in Appendix D
 
e)       The Published
Admissions Number for Community and Voluntary Controlled Infant,
Junior and Primary Schools 2026/27 as set out in Appendix C
 
f)        The Published
Admissions Number for Community and Voluntary Controlled Secondary
Schools 2026/27 as set out in Appendix D
 
g)       The relevant
statutory consultation areas for Kent Infant, Junior and Primary
Schools 2026/27 as detailed in Appendix A and the relevant
statutory consultation areas for Kent Secondary Schools 2026/27 as
set out in Appendix B