Issue - meetings

To receive a report from James Carrick (AD Education Schools and Children’s Services) and Keith Rowley (Director of School Expansions & Asset Management Support)

Keith Rowley (Director of School Expansions & Asset Management Support), presented an update on the demand for school places in Enfield.  It was mentioned that this subject would be reported to Cabinet in March 2018.

The following was highlighted:

• That there is a sufficiency of places for primary school children. However, now that children are moving up to secondary schools more secondary school places will be needed from 2019.
• There should be an adequate number of secondary school places available for the borough following the development of the Wren Academy on the Chase Farm site (8 form entry). However should this development fail to materialise, then other contingency plans would need to be implemented.
• The biggest demand is for special school places. There has been a significant increase in the need for high support provision for children with certain categories of special education need, in recent years. As there have been an insufficient number of places within Enfield it has been necessary for pupils to be transported to schools outside of the borough. An increase in capacity for special schools and establishments in Enfield would help in this regard.

The following issues raised

• It was asked why there had been a significant increase in demand for special school places in recent years?  It was answered that this stems from a change in legislation from 2014 which introduced the Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) with the remit in age widened from 5-19 years to 2-25 years age.  It should also be remembered that Enfield is a net importer of families from inner London.
• Councillor Smith requested information on the shortage of places for children in Southgate, Southgate Green and Bowes areas.  Keith Rowley will provide this information and this is incorporated in the report to Cabinet in March.
• That there were a significant number of vacancies across the borough in primary schools (approximately 500) this has had an adverse effect on school budgets for the year.
• The local authority cannot set demand in an area; a new school can open with more forms of entry than required.

The report would be considered at Cabinet on 14 March 2018 when it would be recommended to

1. Agree the continuation of the school expansion programme, with the focus on special provision and high needs pupil places and
2. Agree the increase capacity in special schools and establishments that provide education services for some of the most acute special need categories subject to further approval for the manner in which this is to be achieved

The report was NOTED