495 PUPIL PLACES REPORT PDF 76 KB
To receive a report from James Carrick (AD
Education Schools and Children’s Services) and Keith Rowley
(Director of School Expansions & Asset Management Support)
Minutes:
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
- Agree
the continuation of the school expansion programme, with the focus
on special provision and high needs pupil places and
- 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