4 Warwickshire Education Sufficiency Strategy
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Additional documents:
Decision:
That Council approves the Warwickshire
Education Sufficiency Strategy 2024-2029.
Minutes:
Councillor Kam Kaur (Portfolio Holder for
Education) moved the recommendation as set out in the
report. In doing so, she recognised the
threads into the Education Strategy, considered at the previous
item on the agenda, and the Council’s statutory duties.
Councillor Sue Markham seconded the
recommendation.
Debate
During the course of the debate, councillors
made the following points:
- The current funding required for
school places was questioned as an underestimation, with queries
around the formula and what was included being raised.
- It was noted that there was an
expectation for Developers to meet growing needs, and the reality
of this based on past experiences was questioned.
- The Strategy set out the optimal
preferred size of secondary schools as 900 places, which was
different from the 2000 places offered at Kenilworth Sixth Form and
it was queried whether there was similar disparity elsewhere and
how the gap between ambition and delivery could be
explained.
- It was queried whether the
acceptable walking distances from home to school included in the
strategy (2 miles for primary school and 3 miles for secondary
school aged children) were a national standard, how realistic this
was and how active travel could be promoted when these were
presented as suitable walking distances.
- Clarification was sought on the
Department for Education figures showing ‘101% of children
accessing 3 and 4 year old entitlement’.
- The report stated that as part of
the feasibility work on capital projects, where feasible net zero
and low carbon options and associated costs were explored and
considered, but this appeared to be ruled out by the subsequent
report on the agenda.
- Provision for reception places was
questioned as being concentrated in the north of the county, which
was leading to children having further distances to travel to
school and in some cases leading to the Council being responsible
for transport.
- The number of school children with
an Education Health and Care Plan was noted and whilst an increase
in provision was sought there was still an anticipated shortfall.
What plans were in place to resource the gap in provision, eg
sponsored academies.
In seconding the
recommendation, Councillor Sue Markham commended the Strategy which
she believed would deliver on Council priorities. She noted the link between all three
education-related papers on the agenda for the meeting and
expressed her support for them all.
In response to questions raised during the
debate, Councillor Kaur responded that:
- The Department for Education
provided the formula for the calculation of school
places. The methodology used by the
Council had also been endorsed by an independent
consultant. Population figures could be
drawn from the census but in-year changes made for an unknown
quantity.
- The 2 and 3 mile
distances quoted by the report related to statutory
duties.
- There were positive
examples of work with Developers that could be drawn from going
forward.
- Strategic discussions
took place with district and borough councils and local developers
to understand when developments would progress and, therefore, when
the associated need for school places would ...
view the full minutes text for item 4
6 Warwickshire Education Sufficiency Strategy 2024 - 2029
PDF 165 KB
A paper presenting a refreshed Education
Sufficiency Strategy for endorsement prior to consideration by Full
Council.
Cabinet Portfolio Holder – Councillor
Kam Kaur
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Councillor Kam Kaur, Portfolio Holder for
Education summarised the published report, noting that the
Education Sufficiency Strategy was a core strategy which set out
how the council would plan, develop and commission education
provision for early years, school places, post 16 and
SEND. She noted that there were a
number of challenges and considerations which the strategy sought
to highlight and address, including population changes and housing
growth, the increase in pupils with recognised SEND, cost
pressures, sustainability, and meeting the demand for early years
provision as a result of recent legislative changes. To facilitate the delivery of this strategy four
priorities had been identified as set out in the report:?strategic
planning, effective commissioning, partnership and collaboration
and managing and supporting change.?
Members welcomed the informative report.
Resolved
That Cabinet endorses the Warwickshire
Education Sufficiency Strategy 2024-2029 and recommends it to
Council for approval.