Issue - meetings

2018 Annual Review of the School Place Planning Strategy 2018-22

 

 

Meeting: 25/09/2018 - Cabinet (Item 6)

6 Annual Review of the School Place Planning Strategy 2018/2022 pdf icon PDF 998 KB

Minutes:

Background:

 

This report provided details on the progress made against the School Place Planning Strategy, highlighted areas of emerging need and set out initial recommendations for consideration to ensure that a sufficient supply of good quality school places would be maintained.

 

The report stated that with regards to primary provision, no significant action was proposed at this time as the additional capacity built into the system should ensure demand would be met for the foreseeable future. Forecasts would continue to be monitored twice each year, together with weekly birth numbers and inward migration, and the position would be assessed accordingly.

 

The report stated that with regards to secondary provision, sufficient capacity existed to 2018 owing to spare capacity in older year groups and it was likely that 2019 intakes could be absorbed into the spare capacity too. From this point additional capacity would be necessary to avoid a widespread oversubscription of places and the report set out a number of proposals in response to this.

 

Diversity Impact Assessments would be undertaken on individual proposals brought forward as a result of actions arising from this report.

 

Decision number:

Decision:

The Cabinet noted the continued excellent progress made against the School Organisation Plan and School Place Planning Strategy frameworks, which have ensured that the Council meets its duty and sufficient school places are available to meet the increasing demand.

118/2018

The Cabinet agreed to authorise officers to undertake feasibility studies to provide additional grammar school places, subject to funding being available in the future, at one or more of the following schools:

·         Holcombe Grammar School (phase 2);

·         Chatham Grammar School for Girls;

·         Rochester Grammar School;

·         Fort Pitt Grammar School; and

·         Provision on the Hoo Peninsula.

 

119/2018

The Cabinet agreed to authorise officers to undertake the feasibility and detailed costing of an additional one form of entry at Hundred of Hoo Academy Primary Phase.

120/2018

The Cabinet agreed to authorise officers to undertake further feasibility studies as necessary to ensure that forward planning is in place to meet demand as and where it emerges.

121/2018

The Cabinet noted the ongoing work being undertaken to ensure sufficient SEND provision is available within Medway and supported the submission of a free school bid and the exploration into the provision of residential accommodation for pupils with SEND within Medway.

 

Reasons:

 

To ensure that the Council meets its statutory duty to ensure sufficient good quality school places are available.

 

While the actions highlighted in section 3.12.2 of the report will provide additional grammar school places, there may be a need to provide further places to accommodate increasing pupil numbers.

 

As noted in section 3.6 of the report, there is expected to be a need for additional primary places in the Peninsula West planning area. The Hundred of Hoo Academy was designed with core facilities for two forms of entry in readiness for this need.

 

By supporting the SEND Free School bid as set out in section 3.15.5 of the report and the continuation of the work being  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6