Agenda item

Report ED14010

The Portfolio Holder introduced a report providing details of the outcomes and recommendations of the School Places Working Group which had met on 25^th November 2013 to consider the strategic planning of secondary school places and school organisation in Bromley.  Over recent years there had been a significant increase in the number of primary school places required to ensure that every on-time applicant received a valid offer.  As these pupils moved into the secondary phase, there was a need to determine how the increase in demand for places would be met, and to assess how a range of other changes would impact demand for secondary places, including raising the participation age to 17 and 18 years, and alternate education options such as University Technical Colleges and Career Colleges.

Increased demand for secondary places was expected to continue in the long term, with initial projections indicating a need for up to thirty additional forms of entry in the years to 2025 and beyond.  This was due to a number of factors including migration to the Borough and increased occupancy levels of existing homes.  In response to this, it was recommended that the higher Greater London Authority (GLA) alternate roll projection methodology be adopted as the basis of forecasting for 2014/15 and beyond, and that a margin of 5% be considered above projection to provide for parental choice and improve the rate of first choice allocations.  It was also recommended that a new Catholic secondary school provision in the Borough be supported in principle, and that further reviews of existing secondary capacity be carried out using the Department for Education’s revised space standards to validate options for growth at existing schools as the basis of capital bids.

The Portfolio Holder was pleased to advise Members of the Committee that an additional £42,302,064 of Basic Need Capital Grant had been allocated to Bromley by the Department for Education to fund additional school places in 2015-16 and 2016-17.  Work was being undertaken with secondary schools across the Borough around the potential expansion of their provision, and a number of secondary schools were also exploring the potential to establish their own primary schools to provide an all-through offer for Bromley pupils.

In response to a question from a Member, the Head of Strategic Place Planning confirmed that the review of existing secondary capacity using the Department for Education’s revised space standards would support more effective use of existing school estates, as well as impacting new school developments.  A Member underlined the importance of schools consulting Ward Members at the earliest stages of any potential expansion.

A Member highlighted the impact that the quality of secondary provision in other Boroughs might have on Bromley schools and requested that information be provided around the number of Bromley pupils who attended secondary schools out of Borough, as well as out of Borough pupils who attended Bromley, and what proportion this was of the total number of secondary places in the Borough.  A Co-opted Member also requested that that an update on the expansion of The Glebe be provided to the next meeting of the Education PDS Committee.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to:

1)  Endorse the recommendations of the School Places Working Group be endorsed as set out below:

·  The review be accepted as the basis for secondary place planning;

·  The higher Greater London Authority (GLA) alternate roll projection methodology be adopted as the basis of forecasting for 2014/15 and beyond;

·  A margin of 5% be considered above projection to provide for parental choice in order to improve the rate of first choice allocations;

·  A new Catholic secondary school provision in the Borough be supported in principle; and,

·  Further reviews of existing secondary capacity be carried out using the Department for Education’s revised space standards to validate options for growth at existing schools as the basis for capital bid applications.

2)  Note the additional £42,302,064 of Basic Need Capital Grant allocated to Bromley by the Department for Education to fund additional school places in 2015-16 and 2016-17.