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22.
January
2018.
Council consults on options to change school admissions arrangements

Cardiff Council is asking people to put forward their views on options to change how the school applications process works in the city, including one option to create feeder primary schools. 

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The public consultation follows an independent report by Cardiff University, commissioned by the council to research how school applications are managed in other local authority areas. 

In November, the council's Cabinet approved a recommendation to seek public opinion on options for school application arrangements. 

Deputy Leader of Cardiff Council and Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry, said: "We are always looking at ways of making sure that we use the school places available in a way that best meets the needs of the local communities our schools serve. 

"As the research report from Cardiff University says, there are pros and cons to the options being looked at. By putting these proposals out to public consultation, we can gauge the views of a range of stakeholders, which we can use to shape school admissions in the city. 

"The council has to review its school admission arrangements each year. As these have remained broadly the same in Cardiff since 2001, it is time to explore the merits of new options, ensuring that we maintain a fair, transparent and clear application system." 

The options included in the consultation focus on how council allocates places at schools which are oversubscribed. 

Members of the public have until January 30, 2018 to submit their comments. The results of the consultation will be presented to Cabinet in the spring, when a final decision is expected to be made on whether to make changes, which would come into effect from September 2019 if given the go ahead. 

The consultation can be accessed online via www.cardiff.gov.uk/admissionarrangements