Purpose

Update on
school place sufficiency at Secondary school level.

Content

 The Cabinet considered a report of the
Director of Children’s Services, which sought to inform of an
annual review of secondary school places across the borough,
evaluating the sufficiency of available places and providing
forecasts for the next six years. The report also sought approval
of the necessary expenditures for managing the school estate to
ensure the council fulfilled its statutory obligation to provide a
school place for every child residing in the borough. The
Department for Education (DfE) Littleborough Secondary School
project was still “paused”, pending the
government’s national spending review.
 
The School Place
Planning Manager Sufficiency and the Assistant Director Schools and
Inclusions were in attendance to present the information and to
address the questions and the comments of the Cabinet
Members.
 
The Cabinet
Members noted the addendum to the report, following consultation
with the Pennines Township Committee.
 
Resolved:

1.    
That the updated forecasts borough-wide for both the Heywood
/ Middleton area and the Pennines / Rochdale area be
noted;

2.    
That Basic Need funding as detailed in Appendix 1 to the
report for the Cardinal Langley RC High School scheme for the 2027
intake in Middleton be agreed;

3.    
That the Basic Need funding as detailed in Appendix 1 to the
report for the Edgar Wood Academy scheme for the 2027 intake in
Middleton be agreed;

4.    
That the Basic Need funding as detailed in Appendix 1 to the
report for the St. Anne’s Academy scheme for the 2027 intake
in Middleton be agreed;

5.    
That the increase in Pupil Admission number at Wardle Academy
for 2026- 2029 be noted.
 
Reason for
decision:
The council has a
statutory duty to provide education and school places for all
school-aged children residing in the borough and is consequently
responsible for ensuring effective planning to accommodate
projected pupil numbers.
 
In accordance with
Section 14(1) of the Education Act 1996, the Local Authority has a
duty to ensure sufficient school places are available and acts as
the strategic commissioner for the provision of new school places
within its area.
 
A local authority
shall exercise its functions under this legislation to contribute
to the spiritual, moral, mental, and physical development of the
community by ensuring that efficient primary and secondary
education, and in the case of a local authority in England, further
education, are available to meet the needs of the population within
its area.
 
Alternatives
considered and rejected:
The council is
required to meet its statutory duty to maintain sufficient places,
and consequently must work in partnership with all schools
(maintained and non-maintained) to manage sufficiency. Not
delivering additional capacity as requested in (2.2) above could
put the council in danger of not meeting its statutory
obligations.