Purpose

Update to
school place sufficiency and plans for the next 4 years at Primary
school level

Content

 The Cabinet considered a report of the
Director of Children’s Services, which sought to inform of an
annual review of primary school places across the borough,
evaluating the sufficiency of available places and providing
forecasts for the next three years. The report 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 School Place
Planning Manager Sufficiency and the Assistant Director Schools and
Inclusion were I attendance to present the report and to address
the questions and the comments of the Cabinet Members.
 
Resolved:

1.    
That the allocation of Basic Need and developer contributions
for expansion of September 2026 Reception intake in Middleton with
the financial allocation as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report be
agreed;

2.    
That the allocation of Basic Need contributions to increase
school places at Raise Rochdale Pupil Referral Unit School detailed
in Appendix 1 to the report be agreed.
 
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:
Local authorities
must balance their statutory duty to provide sufficient places with
the need to ensure schools are not adversely impacted by carrying
excess spare spaces.
The alternative to
(2.1) above would maintain Middleton Township school places at the
current capacity and would possibly result in insufficient school
places within statutory travel distances and an inability of the
Admissions Team to manage in-year and national offer day primary
school applications.
 
The alternative to
(2.2) above would be to keep the Raise Rochdale PRU children
between the ages of 5 and 16 years together making it an
inappropriate setting for younger children and much harder for
teachers and leaders at the school to improve challenging
behaviours and successfully reintegrate children in mainstream
schools.