Agenda item

  – report of the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform, Mr Roger Gough and Patrick Leeson, Corporate Director for Education, Learning and Skills)

(1)     Cabinet receiveda reportcontainingthe 2013-18commissioning planand seeking agreementtoits adoption.   TheCabinetMemberforEducationandHealthReform, MrRoger Gough introducedthereportformembersandmadethefollowing comments:

(i)     Thattheplan wasupdatedannuallyand hadbeen updated sinceCabinet adoptedan earlierplana year ago.During that yearthe Councilhad delivereda large increasein placesavailable fortheSeptember2013 intake andthe wayin whichthis had beendoneamountedto a ‘stepchange’in terms oftheamount of investmentrequired inorder to deliver adequate schoolplaces.

(ii)   Thatpressures continuedto increase.Births werepredicted at 18000for 2013, 3500 morethan ten yearsago.

(iii)          Thatchangesto localpopulationswere alsoanalysed, alongsidepredicted birthrates,but wereharderto predict,particularlywhere theywere a resultof housingdevelopmentsor changesin the compositionofthe populationofan area.

(iv)                 Howeverhe reportedthat the forecastingrecord todate had been goodand this gavehim confidence fordeliveryin thefuture.

(v)   Thattargetsfor permanentplaces forprimary schoolchildrenwere set at40 newentry formsin thenext twoyears, a further22 newentry formsthe year after and continuingpressurein theyears thatfollow

(vi)                 Demand continuedto declineforplacesrequiredat Secondaryschoolsand wereexpected totrougharound2016and then increaseto the end ofthe decade whenpressureswould occur

(vii)   He reported thatthe councilhad successfullysecured ‘TargetedBasic Need’fundingfromCentralGovernmentto meet these targets.KCCentered bidsfor fundingto expand26 schoolsintheCounty andsuccessfullyobtained it for19 ofthem.The totalreceived was31.5million.

(2)     He concludedthatpressuresremainedanddelivery wouldbe difficultbut not impossible andthe councilwas well placedto continueto meetits statutoryduties in relation to schoolplace provision.

(3)     Patrick Leeson,CorporateDirector for Education,Learning andSkillsspoke tothe item,he reported that:

(i)     TheCommissioningPlanwas one ofKCC’s most importantstrategic documents and includedproposalsfor largescale change

(ii)   10,000additionalnew placeswere predictedto be needed inthe next three years,equating to83 additionalformsofentry overthe next3-4 years.This wasthe equivalent of30 newPrimary Schoolsand 3new SecondarySchools.

(iii)          Theplanallowed forpartnershipworking withschools, developers,District Councils and otherstakeholdersto ensurethat not onlywould itincrease places itwould alsowould creategreater choiceand betterenablethe council tomeet parentalpreference.

(4)     TheCabinetMemberforSpecialist Children’s Services,Mrs Jenny Whittlespoketo the itemandmade the followingcomments:

(i)        Thattherewas a shortfallofnurseryplaces withinKentand itwas difficult for providersto find suitableand availableaccommodationwithin whichto expand. She suggestedthat officers inEducationLearningandSkills work closelywith officersin FamiliesandSocial Careto establishhow capital fundingmight be deployedeffectivelyto utilise anyaccommodationwhich becameavailable asa resultofthe closureofa Children’s Centretoprovide nursery places.

(ii)   Thatit wasessentialas 90% ofnurseryplacesin Kent wereprovidedby the privateor voluntarysector to involvethose people fullyin decisionsabout EarlyEducationEntitlementin order thatthey aresupportedin deliveringthe stretchedoffer.

(5)     TheCabinetMemberforEconomicDevelopment,Mr MarkDanceasked membersto consider thedifficultiesthat hebelieved wereinherent inthenew CILsystem for raising leviesand expressed concernthat therewould notbe sufficientfundingto build new schoolsin the east of the County.

(6)     Mr Goughshared theconcerns expressed bythe CabinetMemberforEconomic DevelopmentabouttheCIL system.  However,over thenext twoyears therewere detailedplans forhow thefundingwould be securedthatwere lessreliant onCIL. However over alongerterm itmay requirea governmentresponsesuchas had occurredin relationto BasicNeed.

(7)     Mr Leeson respondedto the commentsmadein thefollowing ways:

(i)  Thatin relationto earlyyears care,it hadbeen the responsibilityofthe Council for some timeto supportthe marketfor deliveryof places.Thecouncilworked closely withproviders and itwould remaina strategicconcern.

(ii)   Kenthad the highesttargetin the countryforprovision ofadditionalplaces for young childrenfromlesswell offfamilies,7000 intotaland the councilwas on trackto deliver3000 ofthose bynext summer.

(iii)          KCC passed on the providersthe maximumsupportallowed bylegislation.