CITY AND COUNTY OF CARDIFF DINAS A SIR CAERDYDD COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL 25 April 2002 CABINET PROPOSAL AGENDA ITEM: School Organisation Plan 2002-2007 Background 1. Section 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act requires each local education authority to prepare and adopt a School Organisation Plan for its area. School Organisation Plans inform the local education authority and others about the need to add or remove school places within the local authority area. They are also intended to help Local Authorities and others to take a strategic view of the planning of school places across their area. 2. The School Organisation Plan presents information relevant to a five-year period following its publication each year, and is subject to review and revision on an annual basis. 3. The School Organisation Plan 2002-2007 for Cardiff (Draft for Consultation) was published on 1 October 2001 and over 500 copies were circulated to Council Members, School Governing Bodies and Headteachers and a wide variety of individuals and organisations. It was also made available for inspection in Council offices. The consultation period ran between 1 October and 3 December 2001. Arising out of this, 18 responses were received. 4. The draft plan has built on the 2001-2006 School Organisation Plan, drawing together demographic and other statistical information relevant to the planning of school places, including information about the demand for schooling in the primary, secondary, sixth form and nursery sectors, in specially resourced schools and units and for pupils who are out of school. Page 1 of 5 5. The Plan outlines the commitment of the Council to the raising of standards of achievement, and to keeping schools at the heart of local communities. Furthermore it presented the school planning considerations that are brought to bear in providing for parental preference, providing for sixth form pupils, early years pupils and pupils with special educational needs. 6. As identified in the plan, the principal issue for Cardiff is an overall surplus of places within the LEA area, and forecasts show that numbers of primary age pupils are likely to decline further over the period of the plan. Furthermore, there is a significant excess of demand over capacity in some areas of the city. 7. The conclusions of the Plan confirm the long-term requirement to remove capacity at a number of primary schools. Reference is also made to the intention to progress work on identifying the need to add or remove school places within individual areas of the County. 8. The comments received through consultation have led to some modifications and additions to the plan, as detailed in the Issues section below. It is now ready for adoption and publication as a final version. 9. Preparations will begin in April 2002 for the publication of the next plan (for 2003- 2008). This next plan will be published in Draft form on 1 September 2002. There will be further consultation on the next plan and this process of consultation and amendment will continue on an annual cycle. Issues 10. Consultation responses Responses received during the consultation period are listed at Appendix 1. Each of these was analysed and given careful consideration. Listed below are those that have been incorporated in the plan. Others were at a level of detail inappropriate for the plan, comments requiring no action or suggestions appropriate for possible inclusion in the next plan. All responses will receive written replies confirming action taken or otherwise proposed. Modifications to the plan The principal modifications that have been made are as follows: · Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee expressed concern about the number of provisional school capacity figures used to determine the number of surplus places in schools. Following consultation with schools, some of these figures have now been confirmed and that for Cantonian High School has been amended. · In response to comments from Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee, the table showing the capacities within specially resourced schools has been amended to delineate the numbers of pupils with Moderate Emotional and/or Behavioural Difficulties and those with Moderate Speech and Language Difficulties in Special Classes and units. In response to comments from the Welsh Assembly Government the plan now cross references this table with that detailing current pupil placements in out of Authority schools. Page 2 of 5 · As recommended by Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee, a map showing the supply and demand for school places has been amended to show the location of secondary school catchment areas, with the exception of those for Voluntary Aided and Welsh Medium schools. · A table has been added detailing the percentage of primary and secondary schools with different levels of unfilled places and overcrowding. · As recommended by the Welsh Assembly Government, a table has been amended to show the overall level of surplus places in Cardiff. · As recommended by the Welsh Assembly Government, the plan now incorporates the Audit Commission Performance Indicator of occupancy levels of more than 110% of capacity in place of the 125% level previously quoted. · As recommended by the Welsh Assembly Government, the section on Welsh Medium Education has been amended to remove the reference to the Council not normally authorising a pupil’s transfer from an English medium primary school to a Welsh medium primary school once the child has completed the first year of primary education. In its place the plan states that it is not usual for a pupil in such circumstances to transfer. · As recommended by the Welsh Assembly Government, references to ELWa have been amended to National Council for Education and Training for Wales (National Council). The reference to local consortia of partners has also been amended to Local Consortia for Education and Training (CCETs); and reference to the Partnership Fund has been replaced by CCET Development Fund. · As recommended by the Welsh Assembly Government, reference has been made to the Additional Revenue Funding which has been made available to facilitate the reduction of KS2 class sizes and to the Assembly’s target that these classes should also be below 30 pupils in size by September 2003. · Targets for the removal of surplus places have been revised and whilst these show a reduction in the number to be removed in order to reduce surpluses to 15% there nevertheless remain substantial challenges. 11. Additional information has been added to the plan following publication of the draft version · A table has been now been added showing the percentage of primary and secondary pupils whose preferences were satisfied, along with the number of admission appeals and their outcomes. Page 3 of 5 ADVICE This report has been prepared in consultation with Corporate Managers and reflects their collective advice. It contains all the information necessary to allow Members to arrive at a reasonable view, taking into account the advice contained in this section. The Corporate Manager with responsibility for this report is Jeff Hobden. Achievability Legal Implications Section 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act requires each local education authority in Wales to prepare and adopt a School Organisation Plan for its area. Financial Implications The application of policies of providing local places for local children could result in the need for additional accommodation at some schools and the reduction of surplus places at others. The capital costs will be determined on agreement of specific proposals and considered for inclusion in the annual capital programme. Consequences The consequence of the continuation of changes to admission arrangements, as confirmed in the Plan, will be a reduction in the over all number of surplus school places. BYRON DAVIES Chief Executive 8 February 2002 Background Papers: Draft School Organisation Plan 2002-2007. Final School Organisation Plan 2002-2007. CABINET PROPOSAL That Council agrees the modifications and additions to the draft School Organisation Plan 2002-2007 in order that the final version of the plan may now be published. Page 4 of 5 Appendix 1 Responses to Draft School Organisation Plan 2002 - 2007 Cantonian High School. Cardiff Catholic Primary Headteachers. Cathays High School. Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee. Sue Essex AM. Fitzalan High School. Glan Yr Afon Primary School. Kitchener Primary School. Llanishen Fach Primary School. Millbank Primary school. Diocese of Monmouth. NASUWT. Welsh Assembly Government. Ninian Park Primary School. Pontprennau Residents’ Association. Jenny Randerson AM. St Phillip Evans RC Primary School. Councillor Freda Salway. Page 5 of 5 Cardiff County Council Schools Service Foreword This Final School Organisation Plan for 2002-2007 has been prepared by Cardiff County Council under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and the Welsh Regulations and Guidance accompanying this act. In establishing the requirement for each local education authority to draw up a School Organisation Plan for its area of concern, the 1998 Act has provided the legislative framework within which schools, parents and the local community can become more closely involved in the planning of school places within each local authority area. Each Local Authority in Wales must draft, consult upon, where necessary modify and adopt the School Organisation Plan on an annual basis. Each adopted plan covers the five-year period immediately following its publication. School Organisation Plans must provide information relevant to the planning of school places locally, and draw conclusions about the need to add or remove school places within the local authority area during the next five years. These Plans help the local education authority, schools, parents and local communities to understand factors that influence the need for school places. This Plan was published in draft form on 1 October 2001. Copies were sent to a comprehensive range of consultees and made available for public inspection at County premises and libraries.