Background Information:
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 2024-28 (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 sets out 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 details 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 and borough in Kent during the next five years.
Decision type: Key
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Notice of proposed decision first published: 14/11/2023
Decision due: Not before 13th Dec 2023 by Cabinet
Reason: To allow 28 day notice period as per Executive Decision regulations
Lead member: Cabinet Member for Education and Skills
Lead director: Christine McInnes
Department: Education & Young People's Services
Contact: Nick Abrahams, Area Education Officer – West Kent Email: nicholas.abrahams@kent.gov.uk or 03000 410058 Email: Nicholas.Abrahams@kent.gov.uk.
Consultees
The Commissioning Plan will be presented to the CYPECC on 21 November 2023 for comment, prior to Cabinet in January 2024.
Financial implications: The LA as Strategic Commissioner of Education Provision has a key role in securing funding to provide sufficient education provision in the County, particularly in schools, in order to meet its statutory responsibilities. The cost of delivering school places is currently met from Basic Need grant from the Government, prudential borrowing by the County Council, Section 106 property developer contributions and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). Government funding for ‘Basic Need’ is allocated on a formula based upon information provided by local authorities concerning forecast numbers of pupils and school capacity.
Legal implications: Each project identified in the KCP will be subject to a separate consultation and decision-making process. The legal implications of each proposal will be identified at that time.
Equalities implications: Equalities implications: An Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) has been completed for the KCP. The screening found no evidence that the KCP will impact negatively on pupils from Protected Groups or lead to them being treated less favourably. Data Protection implications: N/A