Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Date of Decision: April 17, 2025

Purpose: Report on the sufficiency of school places and plan for new places where needed to meet the statutory duty to offer a school places to every child in the LA a school place.

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 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 Transformation Project manager Sufficiency was in attendance to present the information 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 projects in Middleton for the purpose of increasing in-year places in Year 2 and Year 5 for September 2025 with the financial allocation detailed in Appendix 1 to the report be approved; 2.    That the allocation of Basic Need and developer contributions for expansion projects in Middleton for the purpose of increasing in-year places in Year 1, Year 3 and Year 4 for September 2026 with the financial allocation detailed in Appendix 1 to the report be approved; 3.    That the allocation of Basic Need and developer contributions for expansion of two schools for September 2026 Reception intakes in Middleton with the financial allocation detailed in Appendix 1 to the report be approved; 4.    That the consultation with headteachers and Governing Boards in the Pennines to reduce Pupil Admission Numbers (PAN) from September 2027 to address the ongoing surplus of places across the Township be approved.   Reason for decision: The Council had a statutory duty to provide education and school places for all school-aged children residing in the borough and was 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 had a duty to ensure sufficient school places are available and acted as the strategic commissioner for the provision of new school places within its area. A local authority would 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, were 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 were not adversely impacted by carrying excess spare spaces. The alternative to (2.1), (2.2) and (2.3) in the report 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 offer day primary school applications. The alternative to (2.4) in the report would be to remain at the current level of spare capacity in the Pennines with the knowledge that more schools would struggle financially to meet the requirement of balanced forecast budgets.