Agenda item

This report provides Cabinet with a refresh of the School Place Planning Strategy 2019-2023 that was approved by Cabinet in November 2018.

Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)     To approve the refresh of the School Place Planning Strategy 2019-2023 provided as Appendix 1 of the report.

(2)     To note that the current forecasts for primary places would remain fairly steady over the next five years.

(3)     To accept the recommendation that the Secondary School Expansion Programme, presented to Cabinet on 14 October 2020, does not proceed as the latest forecasts indicated that additional secondary places were not required.

(4)     To note the planned strategies for addressing the significant and increasing demand for places that meet the needs of children and young people with SEND aged 0-25.

(5)     To note the concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on Early Years provision and the strategies to support the sector.

Councillor Stephens, Lead Member for Schools, Employment and Skills, introduced a report setting out a refresh of the School Place Planning Strategy 2019-2023 initially agreed by Cabinet in November 2018.

In considering the report, members noted that the annual refresh of the Strategy provided an updated assessment of school place demand across the borough based on the latest pupil projections from the Greater London Authority (GLA).  Overall the 2021 forecasts for primary mainstream school places were lower than the 2020 forecasts whilst the secondary forecasts were broadly similar to 2020.  Based on the current forecasts, it was considered that:

·                sufficient capacity was available in order to meet the forecast demand for mainstream primary places whilst maintaining the 5% of spare places required to respond to in-year movement and migration.

·                sufficient capacity was available to meet the forecast demand for secondary places and provide 5% spare places up to 2029/30, which included the capacity that would be provided through the North Brent School.  Given the latest forecast demand having confirmed that further additional secondary capacity was not required, Cabinet was also being asked to confirm that the proposed secondary school expansion programme did not proceed.

Alongside the above update, members also noted that demand for places to meet the needs of children and young people with Special Education Needs (SEND) was continuing to increase.  Whilst this was due in part to overall population growth, it also reflected increasing diagnosis and the extension of services to children and young people aged 0-25 with SEND.  In order to address this increase in demand and reduce dependence on out of borough places members noted and welcomed the strategies being developed to provide additional capacity through a new special school, special school expansions and new Additionally Resourced Provision as part of the overall School Place Planning Strategy.  As part of this approach, members also welcomed the work being undertaken to establish a 16-25 Skills Centre for young people with complex learning difficulties.

Members were supportive of the overall approach adopted as part of the refresh of the strategy along with the work being undertaken alongside Brent Schools to ensure that place planning continued to be informed by local information on population trends, especially given the ongoing impact of Brexit and the pandemic.

Having welcomed the update provided, Cabinet RESOLVED:

(1)     To approve the refresh of the School Place Planning Strategy 2019-2023 provided as Appendix 1 of the report.

(2)     To note that the current forecasts for primary places would remain fairly steady over the next five years.

(3)     To accept the recommendation that the Secondary School Expansion Programme, presented to Cabinet on 14 October 2020, does not proceed as the latest forecasts indicated that additional secondary places were not required.

(4)     To note the planned strategies for addressing the significant and increasing demand for places that meet the needs of children and young people with SEND aged 0-25.

(5)     To note the concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on Early Years provision and the strategies to support the sector.