Agenda item

[Report of the  Director of Children’s services. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children and Families].This report provides outcomes from feasibility work carried out on the potential to expand three Muswell Hill schools and balances this against latest available school roll projections.

 The Cabinet Member for Children and Families introduced the report which set out the consultation and feasibility work  completed on the possible expansion of three primary schools in the Muswell Hill area  - Coldfall Primary, Muswell Hill Primary and St James C of E Primary. These investigations were conducted against the background of school roll projections that showed continued growth in school numbers. However, since these investigations had neared completion the current school roll projections showed that in this part of the borough the numbers are likely to decrease which  will lead to a surplus of school places rather than  a deficit.   

The Cabinet Member for Children and Families advised that, while there is now no need to increase the size of any of these schools, the availability of the feasibility studies mean that if the need arises the Local authority will be able to act quickly to provide additional places and in the meantime there will be consideration of condition issues at the schools where appropriate.

Late representations, expressing concern at the decision not to expand St James’s Primary school had also been received by both the Leader and Cabinet Member for Children and Families. The detailed concerns would be responded to in writing, outside of the meeting, and the  Council’s School’s Learning team had also offered to have further meetings with the school.

The Leader of the Council further spoke of the Council’s good record of responding to school places and although at this stage there was no action to be taken, the Council would remain fully alive to this issue to ensure that parents are able to send their children to local, good quality schools.

Cabinet noted the following:

                       i.       the latest available school roll projections (received May 2015) show projected sufficiency of reception places in Planning Area 1 (Muswell Hill) up to and including 2024

                      ii.       the risks outlined in para 6.37-39 of this report in not currently proceeding with options to provide new places in Muswell Hill;

                     iii.       that projected falling demand for reception places in Muswell Hill by 2018 may require a review of potential surplus capacity;

                     iv.       that constant monitoring of the demand for and supply of reception places in Muswell Hill will take place and a further report will be prepared if local demand varies from current projections;

                      v.       the outcome of the feasibility works, including construction and overall budget costs for the expansion of Coldfall Primary by two forms of entry (60 places), Muswell Hill Primary by one form of entry (30 places), and St James C of E Primary by one form of entry (30 places);

                     vi.       that further scoping work is proposed by the Property Services on suitability and condition issues at Coldfall and at Muswell Hill Primary, with responsibility for any suitability or condition issues at St James falling to the London Diocesan Board for Schools; the initial general assessment of the impact of the emerging Childcare Bill on Haringey’s schools estate in terms of the 30 hour entitlement for three and four year olds of working parents;

RESOLVED

                       i.       that no further consultation work be carried out on the possible expansion of any primary school in Muswell Hill at the present time because current school roll projections indicate that additional reception places will not be required in the next ten years.

Alternative options considered

Previous school roll projections set out a need to provide additional reception places in Muswell Hill to meet future projected demand. 

Early consultation on the possible expansion of St James C of E Primary School by two forms of entry met with significant resistance from parents and carers at the school and from some local residents. As a result a broader consultation was held in January and February 2015 with all stakeholders to determine how additional local places might be delivered.  From this consultation three schools came forward setting out a desire to expand. 

Feasibility work was carried out to see if and how they could be expanded and to provide indicative costings. A full summary of the results of those feasibility studies set out in this report at Appendix 5 and headlines are set out in paras 6.22 to 6.28 below. 

This report directly addresses a recommendation set out in a March 2015 Cabinet member signing report that feasibility work be carried out on the and how three Muswell Hill schools might be expanded. Having carried out wider consultation (January and February 2015) and analysed feedback on place provision in the Muswell Hill area (which informed the March 2015 Cabinet member decision) no alternative options are being considered at the present time.

Reasons for Decision

The Council has a duty to ensure sufficiency of primary and secondary school places for children of compulsory school are available for their area.  Feasibility work was agreed on an evidence base of projections that showed unmet demand in the coming years.  Current projections now show overall sufficiency of places across the borough up to 2024, although with an acknowledgement that there is greater surplus in some areas, and that projections show we will need to increase capacity in Tottenham and the Wood Green borders from 2020. 

The decision not to proceed with consultation on the expansion of one or more Muswell Hill  schools is based on projected overall local sufficiency of places until 2024 and accords with the agreed place planning principle of the need to meet (but not to exceed) the demand for school places in the local area.