Agenda item

To receive a report of the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform seeking agreement of the Commissioning Plan for Education Provision 2015-19

(Item 5 – report of the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform, Mr Roger Gough, and Corporate Director for Education and Young People’s Services, Patrick Leeson)

Cabinet  received  a  report  seeking  agreement  to  the  adoption  of  the  final  draft Commissioning Plan for Education Provision 2014-19.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform, Mr Roger Gough introduced the item.

He reported that the plan was an important development in the council’s response to significant demographic changes.  39 forms of entry had been added to primary schools in Kent since 2012 and although high levels of accuracy had been achieved in the commissioning plans to date, last year had seen additional pressures above those forecast. As a result of those additional pressures, such as inward migration to the county, localised pressures had emerged.  Seven of the twelve districts currently had surplus capacity below the 5% target.

In addition Mr Gough reminded members that during the period between 2002 and

2012 the birth rate in Kent had risen by 25% only falling for the first time last year; it

was not clear whether the 6.6% fall in births would present a trend but the commissioning plan predicted a 15% increase in primary school places required by

2018-19.

He continued to describe the situation and predictions for Secondary school places. He reported that the 2014-2015 school year was likely to be the lowest point in a trough.  Some acceleration was expected to be seen as early as 2016-17 and was expected to continue to rise sharply after that.  By 2023-24 an increase in required places of more than 20% was expected.

The report also included information regarding the council’s SEND and Early Years

Strategies, in particular the need to establish extra capacity for 2 year olds, and post 16 education.

Mr Gough concluded that significant needs and pressures would continue to need to be addressed and that good work to date would be maintained to achieve that end; including  the  lobbying  of  government  for  further  funding  from  the  £300million currently unallocated from the Basic Need Fund.

Patrick  Leeson,  Corporate  Director  for  Education  and  Young  People’s  Services added to the comments of the Cabinet Member.   He described the challenges presented by both forecasting and meeting the need for places and congratulated those involved in the delivery of the 2014 programme.  He assured members that despite the volatility of the demographics in Kent the document continued to provide good assurance for the plans for the future.  Finally he thanked schools in Kent for the speedy responses and ready acceptance that they had shown to requests to expand, despite the considerable challenges such expansions presented to schools.

The  Leader  agreed  with  the  comments  made  and  reiterated  the  difficulties  that inward migration to the County had caused for planning and delivery of school places in recent years, particularly as many of those families would arrive ‘in year’ and needed places almost immediately.  He also supported the bid to government for additional funding from the Basic Need Fund to cope with such demands.  Finally he endorsed the gratitude expressed by the Corporate Director to all those who had helped to successfully deliver the programme for the last school year including the schools themselves.