Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Date of Decision: December 16, 2025

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.