Issue - meetings

(Report of the Director of Children’s Services to be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Children) To provide an overview of demand for pupil places in Haringey’s Primary Secondary Special Schools and post sixteen settings and an update on the actions being made to ensure adequate places and robust  planning are in place to meet demand for mainstream and special school and post sixteen places across the borough. This report  was withdrawn from the agenda at the Cabinet meeting held on the 10^th July as it related to the earlier report which was withdrawn in relation to Belmont Infant and Belmont Junior Schools and to reconsider issues raised by local stakeholders following publication of the earlier report. Report to follow

NOTE BY HEAD OF LOCAL DEMOCRACY AND MEMBER SERVICES

In accordance with Part Four Section B Paragraph 17 of the Constitution only the item set out in this notice may be considered at the special meeting, and no other business shall be considered.

Prior to considering this report the Leader  referred to the Local Government Act 1972 Section 100b  which advised that Cabinet  can consider late reports under special urgency. As the previous expansion report and School Place Planning Report were linked it had also been necessary to withdraw the School Place Planning report from the Cabinet meeting on 10^th July.  The report was late as it was necessary to ensure the representations received by the Council had been responded to before a report was put forward for decision.

The  report  provided  an assessment  of  demand for pupil places in Haringey’s Primary, Secondary, Special schools and Post 16 settings and  provided an update on actions being take to ensure adequate places and robust planning were  in place to meet demand for mainstream and special school and post 16 places across the borough.

 The Cabinet were asked to note that there were four bulge reception classes required for September 2012 as all classes were full.   Increase demand coupled with rising birth rates meant that providing additional places at primary schools through to secondary schools was imperative.  The introduction of free schools and new Academies may have complicated the process of planning schools places but they do not diminish the findings that an increased number of school places was needed.

The Cabinet Member for Children responded to questions from Cabinet Members and it was noted that:

• If Belmont Infant and Junior schools were to become Academies then the Council would need to consider alternative expansion schemes and in the meantime the bulge classes would continue.

• Tottenham area  place provision  - the decisions relating to expansion of  Lancastrian school was on hold  to take account of the E-Acts provision, Welbourne  Primary school was due to expand  as there was a need to provide places in the middle of Tottenham.

• The forecasts for place planning altered as the applications are made during the year; the availability of the census data for 2011 will further inform base data in early 2013. 

Further to considering the information contained in the report the Cabinet

RESOLVED

1. That the working priorities set out in paragraphs 18.1 below, including the provision of a further two bulge classes (yet to be determined) to meet projected demand for September 2012 be agreed.

2. That a further round of consultation on the possible expansion of Lancastrian Primary school, to take effect from September 2014 (put back from September 2013 to take account of E-Act’s provision) be agreed.

3. That a further Annual Report be brought before Cabinet in July 2013.