Issue - meetings

Annual Review of The School Place Planning Strategy 2022 - 2027

 

 

Meeting: 16/10/2025 - Council (Item 368)

368 Annual Review of the School Place Planning Strategy 2022 - 2027 pdf icon PDF 460 KB

This annual review shows areas of demand and makes recommendations to ensure that sufficient school places are available.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Background:

This annual review showed areas of demand and made recommendations to ensure that sufficient school places would be available.

 

The report set out that Medway Council had a statutory duty to provide sufficient school places. The School Place Planning Strategy described the principles, methods, and challenges of this duty.

 

The proposals in the annual review followed the School Place Planning Strategy Principles. They also supported the Council Plan sub-priority to “Ensure all children and young people access a high-quality, inclusive education.”

 

The report was previously considered by the Cabinet on 26 August 2025, the decisions of which were set out at section 11 of the report.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, Councillor Price, supported by Councillor Mandaracas, proposed the recommendations set out in the report.

Due to the decision to adjourn consideration of remainder of the agenda until the Special Council meeting on 13 November 2025, the report was moved, seconded and agreed without discussion.

Decisions:

a)    The Council noted the decisions of the Cabinet as set out at section 11 of the report.

 

b)    The Council agreed the addition of the school projects marked as “new”, listed in paragraph 8.2 of the report, to the education capital programme.

 

c)    The Council agreed the additional funding for the school projects marked as “additional funding”, listed in paragraph 8.2 of the report.

Meeting: 26/08/2025 - Cabinet (Item 7)

7 Annual Review of the School Place Planning Strategy 2022 - 2027 pdf icon PDF 494 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Background:

 

This annual review showed areas of demand and made recommendations to ensure that sufficient school places would be available.

 

The report set out that Medway Council has a statutory duty to provide sufficient school places. The School Place Planning Strategy describes the principles, methods, and challenges of this duty.

 

The proposals in the annual review follow the School Place Planning Strategy Principles. They also support the Council Plan sub-priority to “Ensure all children and young people access a high-quality, inclusive education.” Delivery of any approved proposals would be through available funding in the Education Capital Programme.

 

On 27 March 2025 the Department for Education had announced that Medway would receive £25,497,189 of Basic Need funding for the period 2026 to 2028. They also announced £4,837,957 of High Needs Provision Capital for 2025/26.

 

Decision

number:

 

Decision:

 

The Cabinet noted the progress made, which had ensured the Council had met its duty, and sufficient school places were available.

 

112/2025

The Cabinet recommended to Council the addition of the school projects marked as “new”, as listed in paragraph 9.2 of the report, to the education capital programme.

 

113/2025

The Cabinet recommended to Council the additional funding for the school projects marked as “additional funding”, as listed in paragraph 9.2 of the report.

 

114/2025

The Cabinet approved commencement of the design and tender processes for the projects listed in paragraph 9.2 of the report, which would follow the Council’s Gateway procedures or approved funding agreements, at the appropriate time for each project.

 

115/2025

The Cabinet approved the change of designation of the remainder of the Cornwallis Avenue site, currently allocated as cemetery extension, for education use, as set out in paragraph 8.6 of the report.

 

116/2025

The Cabinet approved the allocation of that land to the Maritime Academy Trust under a standard academy lease to be utilised for Danecourt secondary phase, as set out in paragraph 8.7 of the report.

 

117/2025

The Cabinet approved a commitment to borrow up to £16.21 million to cover the potential shortfall in available funding, to create and establish a Danecourt Secondary School, as set out in paragraphs 8.8 to 8.15 of the report.

 

118/2025

The Cabinet approved the current Inspire Academy site, when vacated, for use for The Beeches Free School, as set out in paragraph 8.16 of the report.

 

119/2025

The Cabinet authorised the Director of People to commence the relevant statutory processes required for expansions and new schools at the appropriate time, as set out in paragraph 9.2 of the report.

 

Reasons:

 

Approving the recommendations in section 1 of the report will ensure that the Council meets its statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, and the most effective and appropriate use of public funds.