The Cabinet of Tower Hamlets Council met on Wednesday 21 February 2024 to discuss school place planning, admissions arrangements, waste reduction and recycling, and the expansion of Beatrice Tate School. Key decisions included the approval of updated school admissions policies for the 2025/26 academic year and an increased budget for the Beatrice Tate School expansion project.

Planning for School Places 2024/25 Review and Recommendations

The Cabinet noted the annual review of the council's planning for school places. The report detailed factors influencing pupil population changes in Tower Hamlets, the current provision of school places, and projected future demand. It also outlined the steps being taken to manage the sufficiency and sustainability of mainstream school places and provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This included noting the latest position on SEND provision and sufficiency planning, as well as specific equalities considerations.

Determination of Admissions Arrangements for 2025/26

The Cabinet agreed the Local Authority's school admission arrangements for Tower Hamlets Community Schools and other schools for which the Local Authority acts as the admission authority for the 2025/26 academic year. This included agreeing the Local Authority Relevant Area, admission policies for nursery, primary, and secondary schools, and schemes for co-ordinating admissions for Reception, Year 7, and 'In-Year' admissions. The planned admission number (PAN) for each school in Tower Hamlets for 2025/26 was also agreed. A significant change proposed and agreed was the introduction of a digital CATS4 assessment for secondary school banding, replacing the previous teacher assessment of reading levels. This change was met with mixed responses during consultation, with 66.7% agreeing and 33.3% disagreeing. Arguments for the change highlighted transparency, fairness, and the provision of richer data, while concerns focused on the potential stress and pressure on children.

Reduction and Recycling Plan Progress Report - Quarter 3, 2023

The Cabinet noted the progress report on the Reduction and Recycling Plan (RRP) for 2023-2025. The report indicated that the household recycling rate from April to October 2023 was 16.04%, below the RRP target of 23% by March 2025. Challenges identified included the impact of a waste service strike in September 2023, an average contamination rate of 28.4% in dry mixed recycling, and an increase in residual waste tonnage due to population growth and new government regulations affecting the disposal of upholstered seating. Progress was noted on the Flats Recycling Project, with infrastructure improvements rolled out to 600 blocks and further work planned. The report also detailed ongoing engagement activities, including education sessions, recycling stalls, and the work of the recycling champions network. A key concern raised was the need for government intervention to require landlords to provide recycling infrastructure.

Beatrice Tate School Expansion - 41 Southern Grove, London E3 4PX

The Cabinet approved an increase in the budget for the Beatrice Tate School expansion project from £4,050,000 to £6,498,047. This increase is necessary to cover the tendered contract sum of £5,503,122 awarded to Alexander James Limited for the construction of the extension. The additional funding is required due to construction cost increases, design changes to incorporate Air Source Heat Pumps to meet the Council's Zero Carbon Policy, and construction inflation. The expansion will provide an additional 48-60 places for profoundly disabled pupils. The Cabinet also noted the Equalities Impact Assessment. The project's timely completion is crucial to ensure sufficient school places are available and to allow for the redevelopment of the adjacent Southern Grove site for housing.

The meeting also approved the minutes of the previous Cabinet meeting held on 31 January 2024. Announcements were made regarding the council's transformation programme, which has been shortlisted for three Local Government Chronicle (LGC) awards. The Transformation Advisory Board had met to review the proposed Action Plan following a recent LGA Peer Review report. No key issues or questions were raised by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, and no decisions were called in . No other unrestricted business was considered urgent, and no press or public exclusion was required.