Changes to school admission arrangements for 2022 decided by Milton Keynes cabinet member

Rules for deciding which child gets a place at oversubscribed schools, and some of their admission numbers are due to come into effect across the city from September 2022.

The over subscription criteria provides the tie-breaker rules if the number of children applying for places is more than the number of places available at a school.

Looked after child or previously looked after child in care outside of

England have lost their place at the top of the list, in favour of looked after child or previously looked after child in care in England.

Staying at number three on the tie break list is siblings of children who are already attending the school and living in the catchment, with being in the school’s catchment area next.

Also on the list are children of staff, siblings of kids at the school and not living in the catchment area. Distance from the school comes in last.

Cllr Zoe Nolan (Lab, Loughton & Shenley), the council’s cabinet member for children and families, made her delegated decision on Tuesday.

Milton Keynes Council is the admission authority for all community and voluntary controlled schools in the borough. Other types of schools are their own admission authorities and set their own rules.

Cllr Nolan also agreed to tweaking the maximum admission numbers of a number of schools in the borough where the population is changing.

There’s been an increase in the number at St Mary’s Wavendon CE Primary School, where the catchment area has also been changed to make room for a new school.

The published admission number is going down at Russell Street School and Cold Harbour CE Primary School, with all these changes due to be formally adopted and published by March 15, 2021.

> In a short but busy meeting, Cllr Nolan also formally approved spending substantially more on the construction of what she called the “exciting” Glebe Farm all-through scheme in Danesborough and Walton ward.

The actual amount extra being spent was kept secret for financial confidentiality reasons. But council officers say the figure remains within the total £35.6million allocated to the project.

The meeting heard that the construction company Morgan Sindall Plc have agreed to remove a large spoil heap from the site, which reduces the cost a bit.