Agenda item

(Report of the Deputy Chief Executive. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children and Families). The report seeks agreement to commence stakeholder consultation on the reinstatement of the Published Admission Number (PAN) at Bounds Green Infant and Junior School and the possible expansion of St James Church of England Primary and St Mary’s church of England Primary Schools.

Cabinet considered a report, introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children and Families, which sought agreement to commence stakeholder consultation on the reinstatement of the Published Admission Number (PAN) at Bounds Green Infant and Junior School and the possible expansion of St James Church of England Primary and St Mary’s church of England Primary Schools.

RESOLVED:

1. That approval be given for officers to commence stakeholder consultation on the possible reinstatement of the published admission number (PAN) at Bounds Green Infant and Junior School and on the possible expansion of St James CE Primary and St Mary’s CE Primary Schools;.

2. That approval be given for the Cabinet Member for Children and Families to  consider a further report from officers in December 2014 on the outcome of the consultation and to decide on whether or not a statutory notice should be published setting out the local authority’s intention to permanently expand St James’ and St Mary’s, such a decision to be informed by officers’ recommendations setting out consultation feedback and other relevant material considerations including the latest available information on the demand for and supply of school places in the borough; and.

3. That it be agreed that, in parallel with any consultation phase, the design work would be undertaken at risk on the potential expansions of all three schools to enable planning for delivery of any expansion(s) to be delivered on time in the event that such expansion(s) be approved. 

Alternative options considered

All available birth and school roll data concludes that we will run out of sufficient reception places in 2015 if we do not take action to increase the overall PAN for the borough. 

Additional places can be provided through new schools or by expansion (permanent or one off ‘bulge’ classes) of existing schools.

The Education Act 2011 changed the arrangements for establishing new schools and introduced section 6A (the academy/free school presumption) to the Education and Inspections Act 2006. Where a local authority thinks there is a need for a new school in its area it must seek proposals to establish an academy/free school.

While we know that we do not have enough reception places in the borough to meet future demand, this unmet demand is not concentrated in one location but is spread across the central and western parts of the borough.  This projected unmet demand can more effectively be met by the expansion of three existing schools as opposed to new provision concentrated in only one location. 

As a result of the analysis of the geographical spread of the unmet demand, expansion as opposed to a new school is proposed at this time.  By 2024 we expect to be more than ten classes (310 places) short of reception places if we do not take action to increase capacity.  This report is recommending the commencement of consultation on up to four classes (120 places) of additional capacity. 

Reasons for decision

Our projections show that we will not have enough places to meet projected demand if we do not increase capacity at reception level.  This report seeks Cabinet agreement to carry out initial consultation on the possible expansion of two of our primary schools and the reinstatement of the PAN at one further school from its current 60 places up to its original PAN of 90. 

By taking these steps at this time we ensure that we have sufficient time to actively engage with all stakeholders and seek views on these expansions, and to allow any provision to be secured in a timely way following any agreement to expand any one or all three of the schools.  This advance planning also allows us some time to seek alternative proposals if it is ultimately decided not to expand any one (or more) of these schools. 

During the intervening period between now and March 2015 we will continue to monitor actual and projected demand for reception places and report back to Cabinet on any impact this demand has on either the proposal before Cabinet now or where continued demand might mean that additional provision over and above that set out in this report is identified.