Item 4 School Organisation Committee 5 October 2004
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ITEM 4 SCHOOL ORGANISATION COMMITTEE 5 OCTOBER 2004 SCHOOL ORGANISATION PLAN 2004 - 2009 (Director of Education) 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The School Standards and Framework Act, 1998, sets out arrangements for decisions on school organisation to be taken at a local level. 1.2 The School Organisation Plan is a contextual document. It draws conclusions about the need to add or to remove school places within the local authority area and covers a five-year period. The Plan is subject to widespread consultation and facilitates a local understanding of the need for school places and the need to establish future demand. 1.3 The draft School Organisation Plan for 2004-2009 was published on 7 July for statutory consultation. It was approved by the Executive Member for Education for Bracknell Forest Borough Council on 28 September. This paper seeks the School Organisation Committee’s approval to the final Plan for 2004-09. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS That: 2.1 the comments received on the Draft School Organisation Plan and the LEA’s commentary on these be noted; 2.2 the School Organisation Plan (Annex C accompanying this report) be approved for publication in October 2004. 3. ADVICE RECEIVED FROM STATUTORY AND OTHER OFFICERS Borough Solicitor 3.1 The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 provides a framework for new arrangements for local decision making on issues relating to school organisation and for Regulations to provide more detail. The Education (School Organisation Plan) Regulations, the Education (School Organisation Committee) Regulations and the Education (School Adjudicators’ Procedure) Regulations all came into force in 1999. Borough Finance Officer 3.2 Revenue costs required to service the School Organisation Committee and other costs associated with the preparation and publication of the School Organisation Plan are contained within existing budgets. Any financial implications arising from the implementation of the Plan will be considered as part of the Council’s Annual Capital Programme and Revenue Budget. Access Implications 3.3 Access implications where appropriate are taken into account in the School Organisation Plan. 4. SUPPORTING INFORMATION School Organisation Plan 4.1 This sixth School Organisation Plan for Bracknell Forest Local Education Authority (LEA) sets out the need to add or remove school places within Bracknell Forest during the five-year period that it covers. The LEA will use the Plan to set out the steps that need to be taken to secure the provision of primary and secondary education that will meet the needs of the population of the area during that period. The LEA has the power to make proposals that ensure that those needs are met, in addition it is possible that the Plan may prompt other providers to make proposals. 4.2 The Plan also sets out the provision that the Authority proposes to make for children with special educational needs (SEN). It defines the strategies for identifying and providing support for pupils with the full range of special educational needs. Over time the School Organisation Plan will reflect any arrangements that are developed for the regional co-ordination of SEN provision and services. 4.3 The School Organisation Plan also includes a specific section on post-16 provision, in particular setting out ways in which collaborative provision is to be fostered. 4.4 It is not a requirement for the LEA to produce a Plan each year following the changes to the Regulations in 2003. However, it is recommended that where significant changes have been made to school organisation that a plan is produced incorporating these. This Plan therefore, incorporates the effect of the recently agreed changes to school organisation following the Review of primary school places in South Bracknell. 4.5 The Plan is set out in three parts: • demographic information relevant to the supply of school places • a statement of policies and principles relevant to the provision of school places within the LEA area – specifically related to securing improved standards of achievement by pupils; and • conclusions drawn from the above about the need to add or remove school places in particular areas of the authority. 4.6 The School Organisation Plan is one of a number of plans that the LEA is required to produce. It should relate to all, but in particular to the Education Development Plan, the Behaviour Support Plan, the Special Education Needs Strategy and the Asset Management Plan. 4.7 The Plan has been published in draft form on 7 July 2004, with a two-month period to allow for any objections to be sent to the Authority. The School Organisation Committee considered the draft Plan and Bracknell Forest Borough Council’s Executive Member for Education has considered and approved this final plan. If there is unanimous acceptance of the Plan by the School Organisation Committee, it is then published by the LEA in final form. If agreement is not unanimous, the Plan is passed to the regional Schools Adjudicator for determination. 4.8 The LEA has received the following comments during the public consultation process: a) Headteacher, Ascot Heath Primary School Requested an explanation of 'Section 106 contributions' LEA's response Definition included in The Plan b) Mrs M. Fairbrother, Bracknell Expressed concern about the lack of a Catholic Secondary School in the Borough LEA's response Director of Education responded in writing, copy of letter is attached at Annex A. c) Bursar, Wildridings Primary School Queried whether it is true that 'most' children from St Michael's Easthampstead seek secondary education at Ranelagh. LEA's response Detailed statistics from Admissions Team from the last three academic years show that while some attend Ranelagh, most go on to attend Easthampstead Park. The Plan has been revised accordingly. d) Sally Youll, Learning & Skills Council, Provided various clarifications on post-16 provision and LSC developments LEA's response The Plan has been revised accordingly. e) Mr K. Menon, Chairman Warfield Parish Council Queried whether sufficient primary places in Whitegrove and Warfield and secondary school places in North Bracknell will be available in the future to meet demand from the respective designated areas. LEA's response Alison Sanders' letter of 10 September 2004 addresses the individual points (copy attached at Annex B). The Plan was also amended accordingly to clarify these areas. Background Papers Agenda and minutes, School Organisation July 2004 Committee ‘Guidance for arrangements for local decision DfEE Letters dated 14 December making on school organisation.’ 1998, February 2003 and May 2003 Executive Member decision 28 September 2004 Contact for further information Alison Sanders, Assistant Director of Education (01344 354061) Newalluse\SPR\schoolorganisationcommtttee\plan2004\SOC cover paper 051004.doc Annex A Our Ref: TE/SP 22 July 2004 Mrs M Fairbrother 27 Reeds Hill Bracknell Berkshire RG12 7LJ Direct line: 01344 354183 E-mail: [email protected] Dear Mrs Fairbrother You wrote to me on 5 July about your perceived lack of a Catholic secondary school in Bracknell Forest. Our information about the numbers of children whose parents might want places in Catholic secondary schools is limited. Each year 60 pupils leave Catholic primary schools, but not all of these are Catholics. Some Catholic children attend other primary schools. This does not indicate that there would be enough to warrant the establishment of a Catholic secondary school. Brakenhale school is only half full at the moment but future housing developments within its designated area will produce children to take up these places. There is therefore no strong reason for changing its status or planning a different future for it. I am certainly willing to discuss the matter with the Diocese, but I could not give much encouragement to them about your suggestion. Yours sincerely TONY ECCLESTON Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Education and Libraries copy to: Alan Ward Alison Sanders Martin Gocke Annex B Alison Sanders: % 01344 354061 email: [email protected] Our Ref: AS/jw Mr K Menon Chairman Warfield Parish Council 7 County Lane Warfield, Berkshire RG42 3JP 10th September 2004 Dear Mr Menon School Organisation Plan Thank you for your letter of 11th August. Tony Eccleston indicated to you in his letter that he had asked me to reply. Thank you for your comments on the School Organisation Plan. In the last few Organisation Plans the Borough Council has forecast oversubscription at Whitegrove and Warfield Primary Schools. The problem has actually been with trying to ensure the accommodation at these schools meets the demand. The limitations of each school site means that it is not possible to expand either school further. Primary School Places The forecasts are again showing pressure on places at Warfield and Whitegrove Primary Schools for the next five years. This mainly reflects previous trends at these schools. The commentary section notes that the Borough Council cannot provide additional accommodation at either school, however, within neighbouring schools there are sufficient places available to meet this general demand. The Borough Council has also carefully monitored the intake at both schools and the level of oversubscription from within the designated area at each school has gradually fallen, to the extent that this year all children from within the designated area could be accommodated in one of the schools. (Both schools share a designated area). The forecasting methodology is explained on Page 21 and 22. Gradually this trend of fewer designated area pupils entering the school will have a greater impact on the theoretical forecasts and the actual numbers and the forecasts will converge. We believe currently that the forecasts are overstating the future school requirement through replicating the previous experience. We are confident as a Borough Council that we are very close, if not already able, to accommodate all designated area pupils at one of the two schools and, therefore, there is no requirement for a new school, particularly in the context of places being available at neighbouring schools.