Month: September 2016

Categories
School Admissions

FAO all Headteachers and Governors – admission arrangements for entry in September 2018

Dear Headteacher and Chair of Governors,
 
RE: Admission arrangements for entry in September 2018

This information is for Academies, free schools, voluntary-aided and foundation schools only. (It is copied to community and voluntary controlled schools for information only, as the LA, as your admitting authority, undertakes this task for community and voluntary controlled schools.)

 

Consultation on admission arrangements for entry in September 2018 

I am writing to all governing bodies of own admitting authority schools (Academies, free schools, voluntary-aided and foundation schools) to ask if your governing body is intending to consult on your admission arrangements for entry in September 2018. 

You are only required to consult for entry in September 2018 if you propose to change the arrangements your governing body determined for entry in September 2017.

If you are going to consult, your proposed arrangements must be in the public domain for a minimum of 6 weeks between 1 October 2016 and 31 January 2017. 

If your governing body is going to consult, please let me know.  I would be very happy to circulate your proposed admission arrangements on behalf of your governing body.  Please indicate this in your email.

I would be grateful if you could contact me by Friday 30 September 2016.

 

Determining your admissions arrangements for entry in September 2018 (even if you have not consulted this year)

Your governing body must meet again to determine your arrangements by 28 February 2017.

If you have not consulted because the arrangements have not changed you must still minute that the governing body have determined the admissions arrangements for entry in September 2018 and in all cases I must receive a copy of your arrangements to be posted on our website on 15 March 2017. 

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions about the consultation process.

 

Many thanks,

Carlo Kodsi, School Admissions Team Leader
carlo.kodsi@haringey.gov.uk

Categories
School Admissions

School admissions – applying for a school place for September 2017

Please remind parents they can apply online now at www.haringey.gov.uk/schooladmissions

The online application process for children starting school in September 2017 opened on 1 September, 2016.  The number of parents choosing to apply online is rising every year as is the number of Haringey residents who have access to the Internet.  Therefore, the main channel for applications this year will be online. 

Please help us by offering IT facilities at your school and promoting online applications. A member of the admissions team will be happy to attend your Secondary Transfer meetings to talk to parents about the application process. Please contact us at the earliest opportunity – we are available to attend both morning and evening meetings.

We will be sending you new primary and secondary transfer booklets for distribution to parents during the second week of the new term.

The booklets will include information on the Secondary school open events shown below; however, please share this information with parents now so they are able to start making the necessary arrangements to visit schools on the selected dates.  
 

School

Open Event

Alexandra Park

29 September 2016

Fortismere

14 September 2016

Gladesmore

28 September 2016

Greig City Academy

5 October 2016

Harris Academy Tottenham

5 October 2016

Heartlands

22 September 2016

Highgate Wood

13 October 2016

Hornsey

27 September 2016

Northumberland park

3 October 2016

Park View

6 October 2016

St Thomas More

4 October 2016

Woodside High

20 September 2016

 

Categories
School Admissions

In-year admissions – action for all primary and secondary schools

Thank you for providing information about vacancies consistently every week in the ‘weekly roll return’. This information is essential to ensure that pupils without a school place are offered their highest possible preference school at the earliest possible time.
 
You will have received details of all the children that were offered a place at your school during the summer break. Please arrange admission for these children as soon as possible.
 
In-year applications over the summer 
We continued to receive a high number of in-year applications over the summer period from families who have relocated from abroad and other parts of the UK. It is critical that we receive your most up to date vacancy information as soon as possible.   
 
Please email lynne.tighe@haringey.gov.uk (Primary) or taj.buljhoo@haringey.gov.uk (Secondary) if you have not yet provided us with this information.       
 
Waiting lists – community schools and own admitting authority schools 
 Please be aware that all school waiting lists have been cleared as part of the annual cleansing exercise. Parent/carers have been sent a letter asking them to complete a new in-year application if they wish to be placed back on the waiting list(s) for their preferred school(s). Offers and waiting list positions were suspended until 5 September 2016 to enable applicants who were removed from the list to express a continuing interest.

Categories
School Admissions

October Census 2016

Census day will be on Thursday 6 October, 2016.

Please see the DFE guide to submitting census data (external link)

The October census will soon be upon us again and we will of course want to ensure that you have the maximum number of pupils on roll to maximise your funding.  Please help us to do this by continuing to provide your weekly vacancy information. 

Please email lynee.tighe@haringey.gov.uk (Primary) or taj.buljihoo@haringey.gov.uk (Secondary) with this information. A small number of schools have not provided this regularly and we will contact these schools separately to ask for this.

 

 

Categories
School Admissions

School admissions – useful documents

Documents you may find useful:

 

Categories
Governance

Haringey Governors Services – autumn term offers

Governors are reminded that the annual governor training programme starts this term and includes exciting new topics as well as  and regular topics, including Running your Headteachers Performance Management, Converting to an Academy, Premises,  Ofsted Preparation.

For bookings, please visit the website and book online (external lilnk). 

We are very keen to promote our new service schools:  we are offering support and advice around website compliance for governance and we are also offering a package of support tailored to  all non SLA Clerks to meet their particular training and other requirements. 

Please contact Governors Services for further details.
 

Categories
Governance

National database of governors and trustees

Governors are reminded that the Department for Education (DfE) has announced (external link) that from September 2016 the details of those governing in maintained schools and academies must be uploaded to Edubase (external link), the DfE’s database of all schools in the country.

For academies, this requirement is stipulated in the updated Academies Financial Handbook 2016 (external link) but the DfE has pre-populated Edubase with the current information they hold about those governing in academy trusts. However, trusts will need to check the details held on Edubase for accuracy, make any updates and complete any empty fields. Going forward, trusts will be required to update Edubase as vacancies arise and new appointments are made.

For maintained schools this requirement is found in section 538 of the Education Act 1996 (external link), which sets out that governing bodies must submit such information to the Secretary of State as s/he requests. As the DfE does not currently hold information about those governing in maintained schools, this information will need to be filled in from scratch. As with academies, Edubase must be updated regularly where information about those governing changes.

Information regarding the exact details that will be collected and published on Edubase is outlined in the DfE’s press release (external link). Governing boards will need to also continue  to publish details on their websites.

Please could Heads and Chairs of Governors ensure that these requirements are actioned and noted as part of their governing body minutes as appropriate.

Categories
Governance

New NGA, NFER & TFLT research on executive headteachers

The National Governors’ Association (NGA), in collaboration with the National Foundation for Educational Research (NfER) and the Future Leaders Trust (TFLT) has published research into the role and responsibilities of executive headteachers.

Although the number of executive headteachers has grown nationally, there is no common understanding about the role and its responsibilities and this can lead to blurred lines of accountability leaving schools and governors open to challenge.

Governors and trustees who have appointed, or are considering  the appointment of an executive headteacher are strongly advised to read the full report. In particular, pages 16-18 outline the governing and accountability structures that the researchers identified from case studies.

Categories
Governance

Academies Financial Handbook (AHF) 2016


The Education Funding Agency (EFA) has published the 2016 Academies Financial Handbook (external link). This replaces the 2015 version from 1 September 2016.

A summary of the key changes from the previous version can be found on page 5 of the document. Many of the changes clarify or emphasise existing parts of the academies financial framework, while seeking to align these more firmly with terminology in the Governance Handbook, in particular it now makes absolutely clear that trusts must publish their scheme of delegation for governance functions. The 2016 edition features an enhanced focus on identifying skills needed on the board, both at trust board level, and for local governing committees, and includes further drives to promote increased transparency and openness.

It also for the first time sets out in writing, what Department for Education officials have been saying for some time; that there must be a lead executive in multi-academy trusts (MATs) and so called ‘flat MATs’ will not be permitted. The AFH states “The board of trustees of the academy trust must appoint, in writing, a senior executive leader who may, in accordance with the trust’s articles of association, act as an ex officio trustee. In trusts comprising a single academy this should be the principal. In multi-academy trusts it should be the chief executive or equivalent. The role of senior executive leader must not rotate”.
 

Categories
Governance

DfE releases new financial health check service for schools

All governing boards have a responsibility for overseeing the financial performance of the school and ensuring the money is well spent. The Department for Education’s (DfE) Financial Health and Efficiency resource (external link) is aimed specifically at governors.  The DfE continues to add resources to the webpage, the latest of which is an external financial health check service. The DfE has set out three specifications, from a review of the school’s financial systems to full support for a school in financial difficulty.

The documentation sets out what should be included in the various checks. Along with guidance on how to choose a supplier and a directory of potential suppliers.

More information can be found at financial health checks for schools: supplier directory (external link).

Please make your Business Manager and governor with responsibility for finance aware of these changes.