Agenda item

(Report by Mr G Ward, Capital Programme and Infrastructure Group, Ms R Turner, Managing Director, Children, Families & Education Directorate and Mrs S Hohler, Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education Directorate)

(Mr S Bagshaw, Head of Admissions and Transport was present for this item)

(1)         The Committee discussed a report that responded to a question raised by the Joint CFE POSC meeting in September concerning the commissioning, demographics and funding of Kent primary schools and their fitness for the future.

(2)         Members considered that the information requested regarding commissioning should have been submitted to this POSC as well as the Learning and Development POSC so that they had the full picture.  It was also felt that the report also did not answer questions.  Mr Whiting asked whether there were any section 106 outstanding.  Mr Bagshaw commented that there were difficulties in producing a report on primary schools, unlike secondary schools, as they tended to cater for their local community and the pressure on one primary school one year may be very different the next year based on the perception of the school or an Ofsted report therefore it was difficult to get a balanced measure of provision.  The Area Education Officers did take into account the birth rates etc but primary was more difficult to plan for as the volume of children coming into an area may not come to light fully until the point of application for a school.  There is current legislation for the local authority to work with schools to agree with a school to take over its admission number if there was a particular pressure in an area but if this was sustained for any length of time then there was the potential to increase the admission number through consultation.  The difficulty of this was the legislation required the local authority to consult the new admission arrangement 18 months in advance.

(3)         Mr Cooke advised that there were hotspots where primary school places were under pressure.  He had requested from each of the Area Education Officers a report on primary school hotspots in terms of where there may be difficulties and where the thresholds were falling below what they should be with an aim to being more proactive rather than being reactive.  Those reports would be submitted to the POSC.

(4)         In response to a question on how hotspots were going to be addressed, Mr Cooke advised that he would be looking at alternative both short and long term.

(5)         Referring to the comment on the section 106, Mr Cooke advised that there were problems matching the 106 contributions to where the need was.  Where there was significant housing growth within the county and where there was a need for infrastructure, which would need to be approved, there was still the ability to request the 106 although in the current economic climate there was difficulties in getting the builders to meet the additional costs.

(6)         In reply to a question, Mr Bagshaw said that he would seek advice on the statistical distribution and respond outside the meeting.

(7)         RESOLVED that:

(a)   the responses to questions by Members be noted;

(b)   Mr Bagshaw seek advice on the statistical distribution and respond to Members outside the meeting; and

(c)   the reports from each of the Area Education Officers on the primary school hotspots be submitted to a future meeting of this POSC.