Briefing Note for Parent Councils:
P1 Placing Process 2015 – Proposed class organisations
This year we have seen an increase in the number of registrations for our primary schools. Each year we manage the numbers to ensure we can provide enough places for catchment pupils in their local school. If places are available after all catchment pupils are accommodated, we will then grant placing requests but once again it is looking likely that many will be refused this year at the initial stage.
Proposed Organisational Structures
Officers have now reviewed the registration numbers coming through from each primary school in the city and have discussed these with individual Head Teachers to develop proposed class organisations for the start of the 2015 school session in August. Head Teachers have been asked to share these with Parent Councils and get their feedback.
It is important to recognise that although these are proposed organisational structures it is possible changes could be made before the start of session. We do recognise parents and staff want certainty but occasionally organisations may change later in the year, often as a result of placing appeals being successful.
How are class organisations agreed?
Our starting point is the number of children in each year group and then we need to look at the maximum class sizes for different year groups:
P1 – 25
P2 and P3 – 30
P4 to P7 – 33
Composite classes – 25
If catchment numbers mean we cannot accommodate all P1 children through class sizes of 25 and/or a P1/P2 composite class, we will then look at team teaching arrangements, where two teachers will teach a larger class. For team teaching we aim to go with class intakes based on 30 to allow us to reorganise back to classes of 30 for P2. For example we may take in one class of 30 with team teaching, or a class of 25 and one of 35 with team teachers, allowing us to reorganise back to two classes of 30 at P2.
In Edinburgh we will only create a composite class where there is a minimum of 5 pupils in one year group (i.e. 5P1 and 20 P2). Head Teachers are responsible for allocating pupils to the composite classes and unless there are special individual circumstances, the oldest pupils from the lower year group with be placed in the composite class with the younger pupils from the higher year group. In recent years we have seen an increase in the number of composite classes in our schools as numbers of pupils have increased.
Composite classes are very common in Scottish schools – approximately 31% of primary pupils in Scotland are taught in composite classes and currently 10% of Edinburgh’s pupils. The quality of teaching and learning in composite classes is the same as in single stream classes.
Further information can be found on the council’s website – go to ww.edinburgh.gov.uk and search for ‘class organisation’.
How can you say you are taking in a certain number of pupils when the current registration numbers of catchment pupils is higher?
It is normal practice to consider historical data on how catchment numbers change between January and census day in September when setting the school organisation. Our experience is that catchment numbers will fall due to parents choosing independent schools, moving house and nursery deferrals. We are guaranteeing places for all children registered at their catchment school by 28 February 2014. If numbers don’t fall as predicted we are confident that we can accommodate pupils although this may mean changes to the proposed class organisation.
What will the impact of increasing rolls be on individual schools?
It is likely that many schools will have a higher number of catchment pupils registering for P1 this year, although experience shows that this will not be consistent across the city.
Although there is always a reduction in the number of pupils who start school in August due to nursery deferrals, parents choosing independent schools and moving out of the area, we believe the predicted higher numbers mean it is likely that a higher number of placing requests will be refused and, in some schools, none or very few will be granted.
We know of a number of parents who already have children attending the school or are in the nursery but live out of catchment – will they get priority for places?
Normally children who have older siblings attending the school have higher priority for placing requests than other pupils but this does not guarantee them a place. Every year a number of parents find themselves in the situation that they are unable to get younger siblings into the same school as their older brothers or sisters and we do highlight this when initial placing requests are granted.
Attending a nursery class does not give any child a higher priority for the primary school than any other non catchment pupil.
When will more information on catchment numbers and potential placing requests be available?
In January, officers within Children and Families review the number of catchment places received for individual schools and also consider whether or not placing requests out of schools are likely to be successful. Proposed class organisations are then shared with schools in late January and they are asked to share these with their own Parent Councils. This is likely to provide an early indication of whether any placing requests may be granted but it is important to recognise that things change as there are nursery deferrals, as people move in or out of the area and pupils take up places in independent schools.
A committee of Elected Members meets in late February to consider a priority order when more placing requests are received for a school than places are available. Children with very exceptional needs can be given a higher priority and then siblings of children already attending the school, based on distance from the school. Further information is provided in the Placing in Schools booklet.
If there are more placing requests than places in a school, a waiting list will be developed based on the priority order agreed at committee. Letters will then be sent to parent during April.
Will places be reserved for people moving into the catchment area after the registration date?
All families who are living in an area by 28 February will be guaranteed a place at their catchment school. We cannot guarantee a place for children moving in after that date but they would immediately go to the top of any waiting list. This year, where possible we aim to reserve at least one place in each class for families who may move into the area either after 28 February or during the school year. For areas where major housing developments are underway we may increase the number of reserved places.
I understand the catchment numbers registering for my school are likely to be high this year – is the accommodation available for them?
We have already identified a number of schools that may require additional accommodation for the new school session. Discussions have already taken place with the Head Teachers and parents at each school and planning applications have been approved.
What other measures are being taken to enable additional classes or allow more children to be accommodated at P1?
Class organisations will be reviewed to ensure we make the best use of accommodation and allow catchment pupils to be accommodated. Already many of our schools provide team teaching or composite classes very successfully and these teaching approaches will continue to be used where required.
A number of schools have already been identified where internal adaptations will be required for the start of the new school session to meet catchment demand. If other schools are identified where there may be difficulties we will discuss potential temporary solutions with individual Head Teachers.
JGPS Council 