Item 08 - Proposal to consult on amending the Primary 1 Enrolment Date
West Dunbartonshire Council · 20 March 2024
Back to Educational Services Committee — 20 March 2024 and its agenda
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WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL Report by Chief Education Officer Educational Services Committee: 20 March 2024 ___________________________________________________________________ Subject: Proposal to consult on amending the Primary 1 Enrolment Date 1. Purpose 1.1 The purpose of the report is to seek Committee approval for the Chief Education Officer to formally consult on the undernoted proposal under the terms of the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. 2. Recommendations 2.1 It is recommended that the Committee instructs the Chief Education Officer to: i) Formally consult on the proposal for the Primary 1 (P1) enrolment date for the start of the academic year to move from the second week in January to the second week in the proceeding November. ii) Report the outcomes and recommendations resulting from the statutory consultation to Educational Services Committee in September 2024. 3. Background 3.1 The Admission and Placing Request Policy sets out the arrangements for the enrolment week for P1 registration. All 32 councils have their own school enrolment date for P1 and this varies between authorities. 3.2 Children will be admitted to school in August if they are 5 between 1 March of that same year and the last day of the following February. Entry to schools is on a once a year basis at the start of the new session in August each year. Public notifications and social media posts are issued in December providing details on how to register children for starting Primary 1. 3.3 Enrolment week normally takes place the second week in January and is an online process. Parents/carers can also decide to defer the start date for their child, and currently have until the end of February to defer the P1start date, but still require to enrol their child for P1. 3.4 The annual staffing exercise to determine P1 catchment places, and placing requests commences at beginning of February after the January enrolment date. The staffing exercise is ongoing during March/April/May and the information assists the class configurations for P1s in each primary school ITEM 8
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and determines places available for placing requests, teaching staffing numbers within each school and vacant teaching posts. 4. Formal Consultation Process and the Publication of the Formal Proposal Paper 4.1 The January enrolment date has resulted in the annual staffing exercise identifying staffing entitlements and vacant posts not being completed until the end of May which can cause concern for teaching staff seeking a post within the authority. 4.2 A review of other authorities has identified that a number of authorities brought forward the P1 enrolment date from January to the preceding November. It is considered that an earlier enrolment date would enable earlier decisions to be made in relation to P1 class configurations, placing requests and identifying teaching numbers and vacant posts. 4.3 There are benefits to parents and carers with bringing the date of enrolment forward. It will give parents and carers certainty as to which school their child will be attending earlier, allowing them to take part in transition programmes for P1 in the school their child will be attending, and make preparations for P1 earlier (such as spreading the time and cost of purchasing uniform). 4.4 If approved by Committee, it is proposed to consult parents/carers and other statutory consultees on an earlier P1 enrolment date. The formal consultation will begin on 25 March 2024 and the formal proposal paper (Appendix 1) will be: • Published in both electronic and printed form, • Available for inspection at all reasonable times and without charge, • Available from Church Street Offices, in local libraries, early learning and childcare centres and primary schools, • Available from the Council’s website. 4.5 The statutory consultation will run for a minimum period of 6 weeks, including at least 30 schools date and would end on 31 May 2024. 4.6 Education Scotland provide guidance on undertaking a formal consultation, suggesting the following is included (where relevant to the consultation): • Preparation and publication of a proposal paper on the Council’s website, • Giving notice of the proposal to parents/carers and other statutory consultees including Education Scotland, • An announcement of the proposal in the local press, inviting any person to make written representation to the Chief Education Officer, • Holding a public meeting in the local areas during the consultation period, • Consultation with the Parent Council(s) of the affected schools
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• Consultation with parents of pupils and children, including those expected by the Council to attend an affected school within two years of the date of publication of the proposal paper, • Consultation with all staff (teaching and support) at the school, including relevant trade unions and professional associations, other interested bodies such as community councils or local community groups • Consultation with the Archdiocese of Glasgow (where the proposal affects denominational schools) • Consultation with such other Councils as it considers relevant (for example, where the proposed change could affect children in a neighbouring local authority attending our schools). 4.7 At the end of the consultation period, Education Officers will draft a report incorporating copies of written representations and a summary of oral representations from key stakeholders. A maximum of two weeks will be set aside for this part of the process. The report and related documents will then go to Education Scotland for consideration and comment. HM Inspectors will submit a report to the Council within a maximum period of three weeks. 4.8 On receipt of the Education Scotland report, Education Services will prepare and publish a final consultation report containing the views of Education Scotland, representations received during the consultation process and include an explanation of how the Council proposes to deal with any issues raised. 4.9 After a period of no less than three weeks following publication of the consultation report, the Educational Services Committee will consider the consultation report and decide whether or not to approve the proposal. 4.10 It is anticipated that Educational Services Committee will decide to approve or reject the proposal at its meeting on 18 September 2024. If the proposal is approved the change would be implemented for children/young people starting P1 in August 2025. 5. People Implications 5.1 There are no personnel issues. 6. Financial Implications 6.1 There are no financial implications as the consultation will be carried out within existing resources. 7. Risk Analysis 7.1 Due to the change in the patterns of population density in relation to school catchment areas, there is a risk that some schools will be unable to
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accommodate placing requests or catchment pupils. An earlier enrolment date will enable Educational Services to manage P1 intake, placing requests and staffing numbers at an earlier point in time. 8. Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) 8.1 The report has been subject to the EIA screening tool and does not identify any negative impact on equalities groupings. 9. Consultation 9.1 The Council is required to formally consult on proposed changes to school admission arrangements, in line with the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010. 10. Strategic Assessment 10.1 The proposal reflects the Council’s strategic priorities, and in particular the aspiration to have meaningful community engagement with active empowered and informed citizens who feel safe and engaged; and also to demonstrate open, accountable and accessible local government. Laura Mason Chief Education Officer Person to Contact: Andrew Brown, Senior Education Officer 16 Church Street, Dumbarton. andrew.brown@west-dunbarton.gov.uk Appendices: Appendix 1 – Change to P1 Enrolment Date Proposal Paper Background Papers: Schools Consultation (Scotland) Act 2010. Wards Affected: All