Agenda item

1. Mrs Fordham introduced the decision, explaining that it was a rolling plan that would be reviewed annually.

2. Mr Abrahams, Area Education Officer, provided an overview of the report, explaining that the plan aimed to forecast school place demand across the county and outline commissioning for both mainstream and SEND provision. Mr Abrahams said that the birth rate had fallen from over 18,000 in 2012 to 15,000 in 2024, affecting future demand. Overall, Kent was expected to have sufficient primary places, though some rural areas with housing growth may need additional provision. However, several areas continued to face pressure for secondary places due to larger cohorts and migration, indicating additional secondary capacity would likely be required.

1. In response to comments and questions it was said:
   1. Mr Abrahams explained that Cranbrook and High Weald posed challenges as KCC, was responsible for securing school places but was not the sole decision-maker. The closure of a local academy by the DfE had increased travel distances for families, which illustrated the difficulty of holding responsibilities without full authority. The Cabinet Member was arranging a meeting with local stakeholders to discuss how the council could facilitate support while advocating for the community.
   2. Mr Adams explained that forecasts relied on policy assumptions from the safety valve negotiations. Kent remained an outlier, with 6.2% of pupils holding EHCPs versus 5.6% nationally. Additionally, 36% of these pupils in mainstream schools, compared to 44% nationally and 39% in special schools, compared to 30% nationally. Pressure on special schools drove more pupils into the independent sector, which came at a significant cost. Mr Adams emphasised the need for clear policy direction and planning to secure appropriate placements efficiently, noting that unmitigated forecasts based on historic trends could be misleading.
   3. Ms McInnes highlighted the long-standing ambition to bring Kent in line with the national EHCP average. Kent’s rate rose from below average in 2016 to among the highest nationally by 2022, reflecting decision making and other factors rather than a sudden increase in needs. Safety valve financial targets were not fully met because priority was given to children and families, including costly non-statutory services, which increased financial pressure.
   4. Ms McInnes added that regular safety valve reports were submitted to the DfE and published on the council’s website. In addition it was explained that, health services did not contribute to the work that was covered within the KCC Commissioning Plan.
   5. Mr Adams explained that full costs only included housing with planning consent, following government criteria. The inclusion of housing allocations had previously reduced forecast accuracy, so the service no longer did this. Officers worked with boroughs to align local plans with long-term needs and the plan was updated annually to reflect realistic short to medium term provision needs, generally covering ten years.
   6. Localised issues were not included in the Commissioning Plan but were addressed through officers’ regular work.
   7. Ms Gleave explained that officers worked with all KCC special schools on funding, visited schools regularly and that councillors could also arrange visits.
   8. It was highlighted that the gap between Kent and the national average for EHCPs was narrowing.

RESOLVED that the Committee considered and endorsed the proposed decision.