Statement of Educational Need – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School, Rugby CV22 5PS

Prepared for

Education Funding Agency County Council January 2017

Contents 1. Introduction ...... 2 2. Relevant Policy and Legislation ...... 3 3. WCC Education and Learning Sufficiency Strategy ...... 5 4. Quest Academy - MacIntyre Academies Trust ...... 8 5. Rugby Free Secondary School - Knowledge Schools Trust ...... 13 6. Conclusion ...... 16

Appendix 1 – WCC confirmation of support for MacIntyre Academies Free Special School in Warwickshire Appendix 2 – WCC confirmation of support for Rugby Free Secondary School in Warwickshire

Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

1. Introduction

1.1 This report has been prepared in support of an outline planning application to be submitted by the Education Funding Agency and Warwickshire County Council (WCC) for the development of Rugby Free Secondary School and Quest Academy (formerly known as MacIntyre Special Free School), on land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School, Anderson Avenue, Rugby. The purpose of this Statement is to explain the need for additional school places in Rugby.

1.2 This report is based on Warwickshire County Council Education and Learning Sufficiency Strategy 2015- 2019 and forecast need for school places.

Executive Summary

1.3 The local authority has a duty to ensure sufficient schools places are available for their area.

1.4 In advance of the respective Free School applications made to the Department for Education, WCC confirmed support for both Rugby Free Secondary School to provide much needed extra capacity for the fast growing secondary school population, and Quest Academy to address a lack of suitable provision for learners with complex social, emotional and mental health needs and social interaction and communication difficulties.

1.5 In addition to the current need and shortfall in capacity, additional education provision will be required to meet future population growth.

Proposed Development

1.6 This Statement is submitted alongside an illustrative masterplan to provide a new Special Educational Needs Free School, new Secondary Free School, and associated Sports Hall and playing pitches. The total site area comprises 12 ha adjacent to Rokeby Primary School and including the former Rokeby Infant School buildings, former Bishops Wulstan School Playing Fields and land currently part of a farm tenancy .

1.7 Rugby Free Secondary School will provide a new 1,470 place school with associated Sports Hall and playing field (1,050 pupils 11-16, plus 420 post 16). The school will be a co-educational, non-selective, non-denominational school for ages 11-19, opened by Knowledge School Trust (KST). The school will open from a temporary site in September 2016.

1.8 Quest Academy will be opened by MacIntyre Academies Trust, sponsored by the national charity MacIntyre, to provide 80 places for students with autism, sensory and complex learning difficulties.

1.9 The planning application also allows for the demolition of the existing Rokeby Infant School and provision of new playing fields for Rokeby Primary School.

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

2. Relevant Policy and Legislation

2.1 Relevant policy and legislation is provided by the Education Act (1996), Academies Act (2010) and Children and Families Act (2014). WCC’s Education and Learning Sufficiency Strategy 2015-2019 provides up to date pupil forecasts and confirmation of need.

Education Act 1996 2.2 The local authority has a duty to ensure sufficient schools for providing primary and secondary education are available for their area (Education Act 1996, Section 14(1)). Schools available for an area shall not be regarded as sufficient unless they are sufficient in number, character and equipment to provide for all pupils the opportunity of appropriate education.

2.3 The local authority also has a duty to secure sufficient school places for pupils with special educational needs for whoever of statutory school ages lives in the area.

2.4 The Education Secretary of State has a duty to exercise his powers to regulate schools with a view to (among other things) improving standards, encouraging diversity and increasing opportunities for choice (Education Act 1996, Section 11).

Academies Act 2010

2.5 The Academies Act confirmed all new schools should be academies or free schools, meaning local authorities no longer create new schools but retain responsibility for ensuring enough school places locally. In 2015 the Conservative government set a target of delivering 500 new free schools by 2020 to address the need for additional school places and in response to parental demand, to provide a choice of school.

Children and Families Act 2014

2.6 The Children and Families Act 2014 expands the duties of the local authority in respect of the education of children with special educational needs beyond the ‘particular regard for special education’ set out within the Education Act.

National Planning Policy Framework (2012)

2.7 The government attaches great importance to ensuring a sufficient choice of school places is available to meet the needs of existing and new communities. Local planning authorities should take a proactive, positive and collaborative approach to meeting this requirement and development that will widen choice in education (paragraph 72). Great weight should be given to the need to create, expand or alter schools, and local authorities should work with schools promoters to identify and resolve key planning issues before applications are submitted.

Warwickshire County Council Education and Learning

2.8 WCC legal duty is to ensure sufficient schools and places in a locality, ensure sufficient early years & childcare places, ensure sufficient post 16 provision, provide appropriate education provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities, promote high education standards, ensure fair access to educational opportunity, promote fulfilment of every child’s education potential, and to promote diversity and parental choice.

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

2.9 The County Council’s vision for Education and Learning across Warwickshire is that ‘ every child and young person in Warwickshire will attend a good or outstanding school or setting; achieve well whatever their starting point or circumstances; and go on to a positive destination ’ (WCC Education and Learning Sufficiency Strategy 2015-2019).

2.10 The purpose of the Sufficiency Strategy is to help understand how WCC will plan and provide school places to ensure children and young people thrive ‘in sustainably good or outstanding schools and settings throughout their education, wherever they live ’. It sets out the principles underpinning school place planning.

Free School Programme

2.11 The free school programme formed a key part of the Conservative’s pre-election manifesto to ‘close the attainment gap’ and extend the choice that parents have. Applications to the Department for Education should set out the aims and objectives of the institution, an outline of the curriculum, evidence of demand from parents and potential locations for the site. Schools can be set up by parents, teachers, charities, academy sponsors and existing schools.

2.12 In 2015 the Conservative government reaffirmed commitment to free schools, and set a target of delivering 500 new free schools by 2020, creating 270,999 school places to address the need and parental demand.

2.13 Both Rugby Free Secondary School and Quest Academy (formerly Macintyre Special Free School) were announced by the Prime Minister David Cameron in September 2015 as two of 18 new Free Schools announced as the first wave of the new Parliament:

• Rugby Free Secondary School, Rugby, Warwickshire – Rugby Free Secondary School will be opening in the town in September 2016. It is being set up by the trust behind Rugby Free Primary School, which opened September 2015. The new, mixed, secondary school will provide 1,470 much-needed school places for 11- to 19-year-olds. It will be a comprehensive school with an academic curriculum that will specialise in a combination of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects and music.

• Quest Academy (formerly Macintyre Special Free School), Rugby, Warwickshire – Quest Academy will open on a temporary site outside Rugby in September 2017. It will be a special school providing 80 places for children and young people between the ages of 9 and 19 with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties and conditions on the autistic spectrum, with support tailored to the needs of the individual children. The group behind the school, MacIntyre Academies Trust, runs 2 other academies, Endeavour Academy in Oxford and Discovery Academy in .

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

3. WCC Education and Learning Sufficiency Strategy

3.1 The most up to date assessment of need and forecast requirement is explained within the WCC Education and Learning Sufficiency Strategy.

3.2 Rugby is recognised as one of the fastest growing areas outside London, experiencing population growth of 17% between 2001 and 2011, compared to 9% across Warwickshire.

3.3 Overall numbers of primary school children are expected to grow until September 2018 as larger year groups work their way through (from peak reception entry in September 2015), and then stabilise, however this is likely to be offset by proposed housing within the Local Plan. Overall numbers in secondary schools are expected to grow from September 2015 onwards, expecting to peak in September 2022 (corresponding with the reception peak seven years earlier).

3.4 New housing will create additional demand for education facilities. Across Warwickshire, local plans propose an additional 50,000 homes which is likely to lead to over 20,000 additional children. Significant housing developments permitted outside the local plan process will also impact demand.

Special Educational Need and Disability

3.5 Significant gaps in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision is confirmed by the Sufficiency Strategy; ‘ too many young people with the most severe and complex needs are unable to access appropriate local education provision ’,

3.6 Growth in pupil numbers mean existing special schools in Warwickshire are at/close to capacity. Assuming the prevalence of SEN will remain constant up to September 2018, predicted demographic change mean the number of pupils requiring additional support is expected to grow by 9%.

3.7 The vast majority of existing schools meet the needs of pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs (SEMH, 63% of providers) and Autistic Spectrum Disorder (19% providers).

3.8 WCC needs assessment for SEN provision highlights a reliance on placing pupils at Independent Specialist Provision (ISP) schools and a particular lack of resourced provision. 10% of pupils within WCC attend ISP, compared with 4% of pupils within its statistical neighbours. The level of resourced provision makes up just 1% in WCC, compared to 6% in statistical neighbours.

3.9 In particular there is a lack of resourced SEN provision and designated SEN hubs. Development of in- house provision and the external market is a key priority.

3.10 To address the shortfall in provision for pupils with SEMH, WCC commissioned a new special school to accommodate 80 pupils in Nuneaton, Discovery Academy which opened in Nuneaton in 2014. Both Brooke School and Welcombe Hills School have recently been expanded by 30 places.

3.11 In terms of future requirements, the Strategy confirms the following:

• WCC is ‘ supporting a bid for a new special school for pupils with an autism spectrum condition or social, emotional and mental health needs in Rugby in September 2016 under the Free Schools programme ’ (page 48).

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

• WCC is looking to commission new specialist provision attached to mainstream schools across all Education Areas, particularly new specialist provision to meet the need of complex learners (particularly Autism Spectrum Disorder and Communication and Interaction needs) whilst remaining in their own communities.

• Urgent need for Key Stage 3 & 4 educational provision for learners with acute mental health needs who have been in-patients in psychiatric hospital and/or who are at a high risk of self-harm.

3.12 The location of specialist provision is particularly important as pupils arrive from a wider area each day. Average distance travelled to each of the existing schools, and distance to ideal location to serve current cohort of pupils is shown below:

School Average Home to School Distance from ideal location distance (miles) (miles) to serve current cohort Brooke School, Overslade Lane, 2.3 0.8 Rugby CV22 6DY Grange School, Easter Way, 7.6 1.3 Ash Green, CV7 9HP Oak Wood Primary, Morris Drive, 2.2 1.3 Nuneaton CV11 4QH Oak Wood Secondary, Morris Drive, 2.2 1.0 Nuneaton CV11 4QH Ridgeway School, Deansway, 4.0 2.5 Warwick CV34 5DF River House School, Stratford Road, 17.5 15.9 Henley-in-Arden B95 6AD Round Oak School, Brittain Lane, 3.4 1.2 Warwick CV34 6DX Welcombe Hills School, Blue Cap 6.1 0.3 Road, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6TQ Woodlands School, Packington Lane, 8.0 6.6 Coleshill, Birmingham B46 3JE

Secondary Provision

3.13 Growing pressure on secondary school places in Rugby is expected to increase with the impact of new housing developments. Secondary pupil number forecasts illustrate a significant deficit in surplus places, increasing year on year up to -18% surplus places for the total East Area in 2020 (against a target of 4% surplus places):

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

Location Year Year 7 Surplus Total Surplus North of Railway Sept 16 -13% -9% Sept 17 -29% -19% Sept 18 -41% -31% Sept 19 -45% -36% Sept 20 -62% -46% South of Railway Sept 16 -7% 3% Sept 17 -12% -2% Sept 18 -17% -8% Sept 19 -17% -11% Sept 20 -25% -13% East Area Total Sept 16 -8% 1% Sept 17 -15% -5% Sept 18 -21% -12% Sept 19 -22% -15% Sept 20 -32% -18%

(n.b. the September 2016 and 2017 numbers have been addressed by Rugby Free School opening in temporary accommodation).

3.14 Larger primary cohorts transferring to secondary schools will result in the need for an additional 8 permanent Forms of Entry over the next three years. This does not include the projected increase in primary pupils relating to future planned developments as identified in the draft Local Plan. The Local Authority is ‘supporting an application for a new secondary Free School in the town which will go some way to meeting this demand ’ (page 33).

Planning Area - Rugby Total September 2016 – September 2018 Whole New FE New In-Year Class Rugby (all) 7 0 East Area Total 7 0

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

4. Quest Academy - MacIntyre Academies Trust

4.1 MacIntyre Academies decision to put forward an application to set up Quest Academy has arisen as a direct result of the level of interest shown in Discovery Academy in Nuneaton which opened in September 2015. A number of children currently travel from Rugby and mid Warwickshire to Nuneaton and although families are happy with their child's placement, many are concerned about the length of the journey and the impact the distance may have in the longer term on the ability of their children to develop positive local friendship groups.

4.2 The need for the new school is also supported by the basic needs data provided by WCC and an identified shortfall of provision across the County.

4.3 Quest Academy will meet the needs of children and young people who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or Special Education Needs (SEN) statement, and specifically children and young people with additional needs associated with an autistic spectrum condition or social, emotional and mental health difficulties, aged between 9 and 19 (Years 5 to 13). The new School will provide 80 places across Primary, Secondary and Post 16. Approximately 20 places will be reserved for young people within the sixth form.

4.4 MacIntyre Academies Trust is an existing multi-academy Trust which has a successful track record of setting up new special provision. The school’s fundamental philosophy is being ‘open, flexible and solution focused’. The aim of the new MacIntyre Academies is to deliver an ‘outstanding’ education using personalised programmes and by releasing student potential. The vision is to ensure young people with autism and SEMH difficulties receive the same first-class education enjoyed by other students. MacIntyre ambition is to continually challenge ourselves to provide the best educational provision for students with learning disabilities and autism in our care. The new school will provide a healthy, safe and enjoyable environment, with excellent classroom practice.

4.5 The main aims of Quest Academy will be to:

• Inspire children to attend school and value their education in the same way that often comes naturally to children in other circumstances;

• Improve behavioural and educational outcomes and life chances for children and young people;

• Raise aspirations of children and families, matched by high staff aspirations for their pupils;

• Ensure better transitions, destinations and opportunities after school;

• Accelerate progress in literacy, numeracy as well as a broad and balanced curriculum;

• Operate a school which is environmentally sustainable and financially secure; and

• Strengthen community cohesion by being a keystone within the local community.

Confirmation of support from WCC (2015)

4.6 WCC is supporting this free school application as ‘ a new free school in the Rugby area would enable the County to meet local demand, reduce travelling times for vulnerable pupils to a minimum and to reduce the number of cases where pupils are given unsuitable and expensive placements far away from their homes ’ (LA, May 2015).

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

4.7 A letter from WCC dated May 2015 confirms support for the proposed Free School:

• One of the consistent issues identified by the review of provision for vulnerable learners undertaken for the draft SEND Needs Assessment 2015-2020 and draft Vulnerable Learners Strategy 2015-2018 is the lack of suitable provision for vulnerable learners, particularly those who are disengaged from learning, who are struggling to make progress in mainstream education, and those who require a range of additional support to access the curriculum.

• Needs analysis particularly pinpointed learners with complex social emotional and mental health needs and social interaction and communication difficulties.

• Often due to lack of appropriate provision, these pupils are places within independent specialist providers at some distance from Warwickshire.

• Given the lack of diversity of provision and an acute shortage of full time places, the proposal from MacIntyre Academies to develop a Special Free School is welcomed and supported by the local authority . The proposal would help address a shortage of full time provision to meet the needs of learners in the East and Central parts of the county.

• A consequence of the shortage of suitable provision is an escalation of need, and there is significant evidence of this in the number of learners who are placed with independent specialist providers. Both of these areas could be served by a new Special Free School and it is anticipated this service would enable a local placement with opportunities for strong links with local services including Priority Families, Social Care, Education and support services and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

• Given these facts and figure there is a clear need for the potential new Special Free School and the Council is in support of this submission.

4.8 A copy of this letter is provided at Appendix 1 for information.

4.9 Local Authority placement data for children with BESD/SEMH and children with communication and interaction difficulties demonstrates demand for places at the new Free School.

Placement pupils with BESD as the Primary Need in Statement of SEN (August 2014) –

Education Area Other Primary Secondary Special ISP Grand Total East Warwickshire (Rugby) 9 22 39 14 42 126 Central (Leamington Spa and 8 20 17 24 20 89 Warwick)

Placement of Pupils with Social Interaction and Communication as the Primary Need in Statement of SEN (August 2014)

Education Area Other Primary Secondary Special ISP Grand Total East Warwickshire (Rugby) 2 30 11 54 6 103 Central (Leamington Spa and 5 38 51 74 17 185 Warwick)

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

4.10 MacIntyre also have the following commitment from WCC; ‘Warwickshire would expect to purchase a minimum of 30 places in the first year, 55 in the second year and 80 in the third and subsequent years at the new Rugby SEN Free School at a unit cost of £40,876 (based on Warwickshire’s current special school funding matrix). The exact cost will differ depending on the specific needs of the child and this will be discussed with free school trust on a case by case basis’.

Evidence of Need - Quest Academy Free School Application (2015)

4.11 Needs analysis data produced by WCC supports the need for a ‘sister’ school to MacIntyre’s Discovery Academy in Nuneaton to meet existing and projected demand for in-county (Warwickshire) high quality places for children and young people with these particular needs. The existing relationship between MacIntyre and the Local Authority, established in setting up the MacIntyre Nuneaton Academy, will ensure the school is set up effectively for its intended cohort of learners. The Trust have set up a joint admissions panel with WCC to consider the outcomes of the in-depth assessments we conduct of all applications and referrals from schools and LA officers.

4.12 A significant number of children and young people with SEN are placed outside of the County. The total number has risen over 100%, from 129 in 2010 to 259 in 2014, due to insufficient in county resources.

4.13 A recent ‘Vulnerable Learners Strategy’ consultation undertaken by WCC confirms the view of parents and carers they would prefer their child to be in a school as close to home as possible.

4.14 The gap in specialist provision in Warwickshire is increasing as a time when diagnosis of autism is increasing. Data shows that 60% of SEN statements or EHCP are for children who have a primary need of autism or Behaviour Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD) or Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.

4.15 The following information was provided as part of the application for a new Free School:

4.16 Currently WCC meets its statutory duty to provide sufficient places for pupils with BESD (behaviour, emotional and social difficulties) through the provision of 40 places for boys at River House School in Henley-in-Arden. There is currently no maintained provision for girls with BESD. There has been a continuing rise in the number of pupils with a statement for BESD and now an Education Health and Care plan for Social Emotional and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH) between 2009 and 2014, and the numbers are projected to increase in line with the overall population growth.

4.17 Due to the shortage of appropriate provision in Warwickshire the number of pupils being placed in out of authority independent providers has risen sharply in recent years from 129 in 2010 to 259 in 2014, an increase of 100%. These placements carry a significant cost to the local authority and have not been shown to lead to improved outcomes for learners based on research carried out by the LA. The cost of purchasing placements at out of county independent specialist provision has risen from approximately £8,5m in 2009 to approximately £15,5m in 2015. This increased expenditure is creating unsustainable pressures on the County’s Dedicated Schools Grant budgets.

4.18 In July 2013 the County secured Targeted Basic Needs Funding from the DfE for new school places. This included funding to establish a new special school in Nuneaton, North Warwickshire and MacIntyre Academies Trust was successful in applying to operate this school. The new school will open in September 2015 providing education for pupils aged 9-19 with autistic spectrum disorders and social emotional and mental health needs. The Local Authority considers that this school will go some considerable way to address the gaps in Warwickshire’s local offer of provision, but will not provide sufficient places to meet the needs of all suitable learners. This has been borne out through our admissions process.

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

4.19 WCC is introducing measures that will impact on this position, including developing a range of resourced provision as well as setting clearer expectations as to provision all schools should make for pupils with SEN, and clarification regarding access to high needs top-up funding. It is anticipated that the impact of these measures will be to develop more effective earlier intervention and prevent unnecessary escalation of need.

4.20 Notwithstanding these measures, the Local Authority expect there will remain an ongoing requirement for educational provision for learners with complex SEMH and ASD related needs.

4.21 An SEN(&D) Needs Analysis carried out in late 2014 / early 2015 confirms there remain a significant proportion of learners in East Warwickshire (in and around Rugby) with either statements or EHC Plans with Social Emotional and Mental Health difficulties or Autism Spectrum Disorder as their primary need who are unable to access local provision to meet their needs. Even following the opening of the new Special Academy in Nuneaton there will be a significant volume of learners who would be suitable for placement in the proposed Free School.

4.22 MacIntyre Academies has engaged with parents from within the local community as part of the set-up of Discovery Academy in Nuneaton. Applications and referrals via parents, schools and direct from the Local Authority from across Warwickshire have been received for the Nuneaton school. There has been a very high demand for school places from across North and East Warwickshire, particularly centred on the larger populations of Nuneaton, and Rugby. These communities are also more disadvantaged than other parts of particularly southern Warwickshire.

4.23 It is evident from the Discovery Academy admissions process that the level of applications would outstrip places available, particularly at the primary to secondary transition stage. Discovery Academy is designed to cater for 80 children across 10 year groups when at full capacity. Although not operated using a rigid age related admissions policy, the target recruitment is 8 children and no more than 10-12 children in any one year group.

4.24 WCC asked MacIntyre to prioritise children in the last 2 years of primary school coming up to the transition to secondary school as this is the stage at which many of this group of learners become disengaged or unable to continue in mainstream education which generates large numbers of applications for expensive out of county secondary school placements.

4.25 The Trust have been inundated with applications for the new school, which has required careful consideration of how to accommodate all the children whose needs can be meet and who have no alternative place on offer, without creating unsustainable sized classes that would jeopardise availability for future cohorts of children. For example for year 7 places in 2015-16, the Trust received 25 applications/referrals from across North, Mid and East Warwickshire and were able to meet the needs of all but one child. In this year group alone, the school is oversubscribed by over 100% on target admissions, but 40% of applications came from the Rugby area.

4.26 MacIntyre agreed with WCC to admit significantly more children in years 6 and 7 to the Nuneaton School in the first year, whilst developing strategies with the Local Authority to secure alternative provision within the state sector. The council's experience is that once children go into the independent SEN sector, they rarely return to the state sector and recent research shows these placements do not improve outcomes for these children.

4.27 MacIntyre free school application is the result of these discussions with the Local Authority for a school in Rugby to operate as a 'sister school' to the new school in Nuneaton to meet the needs of most applicants. The Trust will also work with other special schools, to support any extension of their provision to meet the needs of this group of learners and are already well networked within the WCC special school network.

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

4.28 The Trust met 9 families from the Rugby area and 4 families from the Central Warwickshire area as part of their assessment process for the Nuneaton School. All expressed a preference for the MacIntyre school to be named on their child's EHCP. Many families had concerns about the daily journey to Nuneaton, although were not dissuaded from pursuing a place. All families confirmed they would like to see the same provision closer to home.

4.29 Of these families, most would be described as disadvantaged. Many have additional social and economic difficulties which impact heavily on the outcomes for their children. They have experienced significant difficulties in keeping their child within the education system. Most have experienced high levels of exclusion, many are attending school part-time, several have been permanently excluded and 4 were out of school entirely. The level of support from parents and carers for the new Nuneaton provision is typified by a sense of relief amongst families that provision that meets their child's needs is now available.

4.30 As part of MacIntyre assessment process for applicants, the Trust visited 3 primary schools in the Rugby area. School leaders confirmed they are 'containing' children within their primary classes sometimes supported by additional resources from the LA but do not feel they are meeting the needs of many of these children effectively. The Nuneaton school is admitting pupils from year 5 onwards as this is commonly regarded as the point at which many children with ASD or SEMH start to really struggle within primary schools and challenge the system. The Trust propose the new Rugby Free School mirrors this.

4.31 We accept that our formal community engagement directly linked to this free school application is limited although our in depth interviews with families seeking places for the Nuneaton school has provided us with a good insight into families’ needs. Our decision to put forward an application has arisen as a direct result of the level of interest shown through our admissions process for our school in Nuneaton backed up by the basic needs data provided by Warwickshire County Council.

4.32 During the first year more children were accepted into years 6 and 7 of the Nuneaton School as there were no alternatives for these families. If a school is opened in Rugby, almost half the children from these year groups would be able to transfer to the school closer to home.

4.33 The map following shows the location of families who applied to Discovery Academy in Nuneaton in 2015. Of the 34 families, 25 of these are children at transition from primary to secondary school:

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

5. Rugby Free Secondary School - Knowledge Schools Trust

5.1 The application for Rugby is made in response to current and accelerating need for high quality secondary school places in Rugby. The three existing 11-19 schools in Rugby (, and Rugby High School for Girls) will exceed capacity by 2016 according to forecasts in the Warwickshire Sufficiency Strategy 2014 and the (11-16, non-selective) was already at capacity in 2014. RFSS was established in direct response to the fact that if it had not opened in 2016, over 100 children from Rugby would not have been able to access secondary education in the town in which they live.

5.2 Rugby Free Secondary School (RFSS) will be a new 11-19 free school admitting students to Y7 for the first time in 2016. The school will be established by the Knowledge School Trust, who also operate Rugby Free Primary School, a 4-11 sister free school which opened in September 2015. RFSS will be a 6-form entry school with 30 students per form, giving a PAN of 210 and a total 1,470 students (including 420 in the sixth-form) at full capacity from 2022 onwards. The school will be a STEMM school, with a curriculum emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Music. The school will be inclusive, non-selective, non-faith and open to students from all backgrounds.

Confirmation of support from WCC (April 2015)

5.3 In response to the proposal put forward by Knowledge School Trust for Rugby Free Secondary School, Nigel Minns (Head of Service, WCC Education and Learning) reiterates Rugby as one of the fastest growing areas outside London, in context an increase in the birth rate, significant inward migration and major housing development, and confirms a severely restricted capital budget to fund an increase in the number of pupil places.

5.4 His letter dated 14 th April 2015 confirms WCC forecasts equating to a shortfall in secondary places of 6 Forms of Entry from September 2016, rising to 7 Forms of Entry by September 2018, and a further rise to a shortage of 10-11 Forms of Entry by 2022, and the following:

• Given our urgent and growing need for more secondary places, our own limited resources and the partnership approach we take in Warwickshire, we believe the proposed Free Secondary School, opening with 6 forms of entry in 2016, will play a vital role in providing much-needed capacity, without detriment to neighbouring schools.

• The proposed Free Secondary School will provide much-needed extra capacity for our fast growing secondary school population.

5.5 A copy of this letter is provide at Appendix 2 for information.

Evidence of Need - Rugby Free Secondary School Free Schools application (2015)

5.6 There is a demonstrable and growing basic need in Rugby in terms of secondary school places. Existing plans will build over 50,000 additional homes across Warwickshire.

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

5.7 At September 2014, Warwickshire had 38 secondary phase schools, with 32,000 secondary places according to the Warwickshire Sufficiency Strategy 2014. The Strategy confirms Rugby is one of the fastest growing areas outside London. Warwickshire’s population grew by 8% between 2001 and 2011, with an increase of more than twice this average in Rugby (17%). The overall trend is expected to grow to 13% through to 2021, the year before RFSS achieves steady state in terms of student numbers.

5.8 DfE data shows increasing demand for secondary school places across the local authority as a whole:

Forecast 2015 2016 2017

Demand 32,304 32,404 32,721

5.9 There is no ‘surplus place’ problem in 2016 and Rugby urgently needs a new 11-19 school as 6,997 places are required for 2016/2017. Without RFSS only 6,563 places will be available.

5.10 Between 2011 and 2013 Warwickshire received £11,664,607 in DfE emergency basic need funding. WCC confirmed in 2013 that while building new schools is costly, there is no alternative – ‘Over the next ten years, it is proposed in excess of 50,000 new homes will be built in the county, potentially increasing the pupil population by 20,000. To cope with this number of additional children, the equivalent of 50 new one form entry primary schools would be required along with the equivalent of nine new six form entry secondary schools plus new early years and special school provision’ (Leamington Observer, 2013).

5.11 No school in the local authority has a STEMM specialism. RFSS will increase parental choice and diversity of provision in the area. The ambitious targets and high expectations set by Knowledge Schools Trust will enable RFSS to contribute to raising educational standards.

5.12 The Warwickshire Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2010 confirm in terms of relative positions in the national rankings, relative to other English Local Authority Districts, Rugby Borough is more deprived in the latest IMD 2010 than it was in the 2007 Index across three of the four summary measures. Knowledge School Trusts inclusive aims for RFSS anticipate a pupil intake profile which is representative of the Rugby area, where, 7% of students are EAL students (FSM average is 9%) and 11% of secondary school students have SEN (national average 16%, and local authority average 18%).

5.13 Curriculum and pastoral planning is based around this profile to ensure learning needs of all students are met.

5.14 The Knowledge Schools Trust is led by an experienced board of local parents, teachers and professionals who recently established Rugby Free Primary School. Through this work it became apparent the deficit in school places facing Rugby had extended to the secondary phase. Many parents of pupils who had expressed interest in the primary school also asked the Trust if there were also plans to open a Secondary. The decision to progress a free school application was confirmed once it was clear WCC and the local authority would be supportive, and were equally concerned about future provision.

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

5.15 In advance of the application the Trust visited primary schools around Rugby to speak with parents of Year 5 and Year 6 children, took a stall in the Clock Towers Shopping Centre, and conducted street canvassing both in the town centre and in the vicinity of the proposed sites. Canvassing also took place outside local supermarkets and leisure centres. The proposal was publicised through the RFPS website and Facebook page. 2,000 leaflets were produced and distributed and an initial website and secondary focused Facebook site and Twitter Feed were established to provide more information for those parents and community members who wished to know more. This gave the Trust opportunity to answer questions and take suggestions that shaped the final submission for the school.

5.16 Parents and the community were overwhelmingly in favour of the establishment of a new school, its specialisms, the straightforward admissions policy and the fact that it offered high quality non-selective education.

5.17 WCC confirm the basic need issue is Rugby-wide.

5.18 Knowledge Schools Trust collected expressions of interest for Rugby Free Secondary School from potential parents. In total pledges of support outside the relevant age ranges exceeded 200.

5.19 Local school standards are variable in Rugby in the Secondary phase. At one end of the scale, selective and partially selective schools are judged Outstanding and have results ranking along the best in the country. At the other end three of the town’s secondary schools (Bilton, Harris and Avon Valley) are considerably lower than national in terms of pupil progress and GCSE results. This has perpetuated the ‘two-speed’ perception of the town’s school. As it to be expected, local secondary schools have (or will have) full rolls, making a further case for the establishment of Rugby Free Secondary School.

5.20 The proposal for Rugby Free Secondary School follows from work to establish the Primary school. Both parents who will have children attending the primary school and those who have followed its progress have supported both in terms of registering their support but also in promoting the schools within their community. Support and interest from teachers at other local schools who both recognise the need for the school and are excited by its vision have also been expressed.

5.21 Demand figures evidence extensive engagement with the community, and local knowledge has been invaluable to target the diversity of the local community. This engagement has validated plans for the school and given the Trust the opportunity to reflect on the proposal to ensure they are most appropriate for the community. This is further evidenced by the inclusive and compliant admissions process and approach to delivering the curriculum to all children in the school.

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

6. Conclusion

6.1 Evidence demonstrates need for the new secondary and SEN schools proposed in this planning application. The school will ensure the needs of the community are met. New playing fields for Rokeby Primary School will improve existing education use.

6.2 The local authority has a duty to secure sufficient school provision, including for secondary pupils and for those with special educational needs in accordance with the Education Act. The schools proposed are fundamental to meeting these statutory duties.

6.3 WCC have confirmed their support for both Rugby Free Secondary School and Quest Academy.

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

Appendix 1 – WCC confirmation of support for MacIntyre Academies Free Special School in Warwickshire

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

Appendix 2 – WCC confirmation of support for Rugby Free Secondary School in Warwickshire

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

Cushman & Wakefield | Education Funding Agency Warwickshire | 21 County Council

Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

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Education Need Assessment – Rugby Free Schools Masterplan, land adjacent to Rokeby Primary School

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