Decision details

Reason for Decision and Background

Kent County Council (KCC), as the Local Authority (LA), has a statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places are available. The County Council’s Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent 2022-26 (KCP) is a five-year rolling plan which is updated annually. It sets out our future plans as Strategic Commissioner of Education Provision across all types and phases of education in Kent.

The Plan details how we will carry out our responsibility for ensuring there are sufficient high quality places, in the right places for all learners, while at the same time fulfilling our other responsibilities to raise education standards and promote parental preference.  The Plan indicates the expected future need for education provision, thereby enabling parents and education providers to put forward proposals as to how these needs might best be met.

Options

The KCP sets out the principles by which we determine proposals, and it forecasts the need for future provision.  It also sets out in more detail plans to meet the commissioning needs which arise in each District in Kent during the Plan period.

Cabinet agreed the Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent 2022-26 at its meeting on 6 January 2022.