Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

School Place Planning Strategy

June 2017

CONTENTS

Page Subject

3 Background

7 Primary phase

17 Secondary phase

18 Special Educational Needs schools and resource provisions

21 Early Years

24 Financial implications

25 Risk assessment

25 Contact

26 Appendix 1: Primary schools’ capacity, 2007–2018

27 Appendix 2: Secondary schools’ capacity, 2014–2022

BACKGROUND

1. In November 2012, a report1 to the Council’s then People’s Services Committee outlined a strategy for providing additional school places, by a mixture, where appropriate, of methods:

 Permanently expanding existing single-site primary and secondary schools;  Permanently expanding existing primary schools onto additional sites;  Converting pairs of infant and junior schools into all-through, 4-11 primary schools  Encouraging and assisting the establishment of primary and secondary free schools; and, possibly,  Permanently expanding downwards the age-range of existing secondary schools.

Progress since 2014

2. Since 2014, considerable progress has been made to implement that strategy:

 three free schools, as detailed at paragraphs 3 and 5 below, have been approved for opening within the borough, two of which – Kingston Community School (primary) and The Kingston Academy (secondary) – opened in September 2015;  King’s Oak Primary and Lovelace Primary, from September 2014, and Maple Infants’ and its linked school, St Andrew’s and St Mark’s Church of England Junior, from September 2015, have been permanently expanded by a form of entry each;  Alexandra Infant and St Paul’s Church of England Junior have been converted into two-form primary schools from September 2016, thereby providing an additional form of entry; and  Tiffin, The Tiffin Girls’ and Tolworth Girls’ have each expanded their intake by an additional form of Year 7 entry, and Richard Challoner has increased its admission number from 135 to 150.

Between them, those free schools, expansions and conversions have permanently added:

 six forms of Reception entry, which provide 180 extra places per year and 1,260 primary phase places in total; and  nine forms of Year 7 entry, which provide 270* extra places per year and 1,350 secondary phase places in total. (*Net figure, taking into account Southborough’s reduction by 15 in 2016.)

These permanent places have been supplemented where necessary by a much-reduced number of additional temporary classes, which have mostly been accommodated in permanent buildings. The full recent history of where places have been added is tabulated on pages 26 and 27 of this document.

Primary free schools

3. In May 2014, two free schools were approved, subject to sites: Kingston Community School, an all- through primary and secondary school proposed by Chapel Street, consisting of a two form entry primary element, to open in September 2015, and a three-form entry secondary element, to open in September 2017; and Surbiton Primary Academy, a two-form entry primary proposed by GEMS Learning Trust, to open in September 2015. Although the DfE cancelled its secondary element due to a perceived lack of need, Kingston Community School opened on time, as a primary school only, on a temporary site in Acre Road. It is expected to move to its permanent site in Coombe Road in time for or during the 2018/2019 school year. GEMS Surbiton Primary Academy, since renamed GEMS

1 http://moderngov.kingston.gov.uk/documents/s44244/DxSchool%20places.pdf. 3

Kingston Primary Academy, has thrice been deferred due to site issues, and will, subject to planning permission, open at its proposed permanent site in High Street, Kingston, from September 2018.

4. In September 2016, the Stamp Education Trust, which runs Thomson House primary free school in Mortlake, submitted an application to the Department for Education for a two-form entry primary free school in Surbiton, to be called Parks House, but the application was refused. It is anticipated that Stamp will re-apply in the next round, Wave 13, which is expected to be in autumn 2017.

Secondary free schools

5. In May 2013, a six-form entry 11-18 secondary school, The Kingston Academy, proposed by Kingston Educational Trust, made up of Kingston College, Kingston University and Education Kingston, was approved to open at the North Kingston Centre site in September 2014, but permission was subsequently given to defer its opening until September 2015. The school opened in September 2015.

6. The Diocese of Southwark has announced its intention to submit an application to the DfE in summer 2017 for a six-form entry Church of England secondary free school within the borough, to open in 2021 at the earliest.

Special free schools

7. In September 2016, the Auriga Academy Trust, which runs Clarendon and Strathmore special schools in Richmond Borough, submitted an application to the Department for Education for a 100-place special school, to be called The Alioc and to be established at Moor Lane, for children aged seven to 19 with an Education, Health and Care Plan or Statement of Special Educational Needs as a result of complex behaviours associated with severe learning difficulties including autism and sensory processing difficulties, but the application was refused. It is anticipated that Auriga will re-apply in the next round, Wave 13.

8. The Auriga Academy Trust also submitted an application for a 72-place special school, to be called The Maaz and to be established in Richmond Borough, for 72 children aged four to 19 with speech, language and communication or social, emotional and mental health issues, including ASD, and this application was approved. It is anticipated that many Kingston children will be placed at the school in due course – at present there are 35 children currently attending out-borough independent special schools who could have been educated at The Maaz if it had been available.

Forecast population growth in London

9. The Mayor’s London Plan2 estimates that, as London’s overall population increases, its school age population is projected to increase by 18% by 2036. London Councils’ ‘Do the Maths 2016’ report on the number of school places that will be required across London predicted that:

[. . .] from 2010/11 to 2019/20, the number of pupils educated in the London school system (aged 5-19) will have grown by 24.9 per cent, compared to an England growth rate of 14.0 per cent. This will consist of 114,900 additional secondary pupils and 168,200 additional primary pupils. [. . . ] A total of 110,364 new school places will be needed in London between 2016/17 and 2021/22 to meet forecast demand, consisting of 62,935 primary places and 47,430 secondary places.3

2 https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/london-plan/current-london-plan/london-plan-chapter-3/policy-318- education. 3 http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/our-key-themes/children-and-young-people/education-and-school-places/do-maths-2016. 4

Forecast population growth in Kingston

10. The forecast growth within Kingston Borough, though much lower than the London average, will, if it actually transpires, be significant: 11.4% for primary and 10% for secondary. At present, there are 14,113 pupils in the (mainstream) primary phase and 10,045 in the (mainstream) secondary phase within the state-funded schools in the borough, so if London Councils’ forecast percentage increases come to pass, an additional 1,609 primary and 1,005 secondary places will be needed. However, those forecasts take no account of the possible establishment of GEMS Kingston Primary, Parks House and the Diocese of Southwark’s secondary school proposal, which between them would deliver 840 primary and 1,050 secondary places.

11. The Office of National Statistics predicts4 that the overall population within the borough will increase from the current 177,000 to 200,000 by 2025; and to 215,000 by 2035, with the school age population increasing from 31,000 to 38,000 by 2025 and to 40,000 by 2035.

Housing developments

12. Several major housing developments within the borough are planned across the borough, in accordance with the Council’s growth agenda, and, longer term, the Crossrail 2 Growth Commission’s proposals5; and this strategy attempts to take those developments – and the possible ‘pupil yield’ from them – into account. However, it is difficult to be accurate in that regard without knowing: the detailed tenure and unit breakdowns of the proposed developments; the age breakdowns of the children from families who move into those properties (which can only be accurately forecast on the basis of reliable tenure and unit breakdowns); and/or the percentage likelihood of whether children from families will already being attending schools local to the developments concerned. The likely yields are predicated on forecasts made using the ‘London South’ sub-regional formulae within the GLA Yield Calculator and are therefore more generic than would ideally be the case.

Further demand for school places

13. Despite the additional provision delivered in recent years, more state-funded school places will be required to meet longer-term forecast demand, particularly in the primary phase. Forecast demand is – and will be – driven not only by continued growth of the birth-rate, but also by Kingston’s attractiveness for young families wishing to move to a new area. The continuously excellent standards of attainment achieved in the state-funded schools within the borough – no school in Kingston is currently graded by Ofsted as ‘inadequate’ or ‘requiring improvement’ – is a highly significant contributory factor to the inward migration of such families.

14. This report therefore:

 analyses demand for additional primary places within each of the eight school place planning areas which Achieving for Children, on behalf of the Council, uses for its pupil forecasts, and how that demand could be met;  considers whether, and when, further secondary phase places will be required;  analyses demand for additional SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) school places and resource provisions, and how that demand could be met;

4 See: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationprojections/datasets/localauthori tiesinenglandtable2. 5 http://1267lm2nzpvy44li8s48uorode.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Growth-Commission- Report.pdf. 5

 reviews the provision of state-funded early years places within the borough; and  gives the best possible estimates of likely costs.

15. For the purposes of this strategy, short-term demand is defined as the period from 2017 to 2019, medium-term covers 2020 to 2024, and long-term covers 2025 and beyond. Assumptions regarding long-term demand are based upon general population and pupil projections made by the Office of National Statistics and London Councils respectively, but are, naturally, more speculative than those used for the short- to medium-term forecasts of demand.

16. This strategy will be subject to annual review and its detail and recommendations will be amended in accordance with local and national developments.

PRIMARY PHASE

17. For the primary phase pupil forecasts, the borough is divided into eight school place planning areas, co-terminous with electoral ward boundaries, as follows:

 Area 1: North Kingston – Canbury and Tudor wards  Area 2: Kingston Town and Norbiton – Grove and Norbiton wards  Area 3: Chessington and Hook – Chessington North & Hook, and Chessington South wards  Area 4: Surbiton – St Mark’s and Surbiton Hill wards  Area 5: Tolworth and Berrylands – Alexandra, Berrylands, and Tolworth & Hook Rise wards  Area 6: New Malden and Coombe – Beverley, Coombe Vale and St James wards  Area 7: Old Malden and Worcester Park – Old Malden ward  Area 8: Coombe Hill – Coombe Hill ward

Paragraphs 20 to 27 analyse likely demand and possible options within each of those eight areas, though in reality, i.e. the actual admission patterns, parents’ preferences aren’t restricted solely to the schools in the planning areas in which they live and schools aren’t evenly spaced apart from one another, so there is inevitably overlap and interdependency between the areas.

Where the possibility of expanding individual schools is discussed, that relates to each school’s existing site(s) except in cases where expansion onto an additional site is considered. Current capacity per school and planning area is given in multiples of forms of entry (FE); and one form of entry equates to 30 Reception places per year and 210 places in total.

18. The live-birth rate within the borough has fluctuated in recent years as follows, with a 29% increase in the decade between 2002 and 2012, and a 10% increase between 2014 and 2015:

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 1,787 1,794 1,945 2,036 2,024 2,142 2,202 2,292 2,270 2,289 2,336 2,306 2,112 2,314

The net increase between 2002 and 2015 was therefore 30%. However, with the 8% decrease in live births between 2013 and 2014, followed by a 10% increase, it is difficult to estimate what the consistent birth-rate trend, if any, will be from 2016 onwards, but one can assume that current and proposed housing developments are likely to create further net increases in the next decade or so. 19. Primary pupil forecasts are projected using a catchment method, deriving the potential demand for reception places from births, with birth data up to 2014 provided by the Office for National Statistics and estimated births for 2015 onwards provided by the Greater London Authority. Average area level take-up rates from births are applied after consideration of changes planned in the provision of school places. Reception roll forecasts are further modified to reflect the most recent data available on admissions for the coming year and for significant housing developments which have received planning permission. Finally, rolls by area are calculated by rolling forward existing year groups and applying average area level retention rates for year-group cohorts.

20. Area 1: North Kingston

School(s) Current Comments and scope for expansion capacity Alexandra 2FE Expanded from 2FE in 2011; and converted from 3FE infant to 2FE all-through primary school from September 2016. No room for further expansion. Fern Hill Primary 3FE Expanded from 2FE in 2011; no room for further expansion. Latchmere 4FE Expanded from 3FE in 2011; may have room for expansion to 5FE. St Agatha’s Catholic Primary 2FE Has room for expansion to 3FE or for participation within a ‘shared form of entry’* with Corpus Christi and Our Lady Immaculate. St Luke’s Church of England Primary 1FE No room for permanent expansion, but will accommodate a bulge class in 2017. St Paul’s Church of England Primary 2FE Expanded from 2FE in 2011; and converted from 3FE junior to 2FE all-through primary school from September 2016. No room for further expansion. Total 14FE

* A shared form of entry is an innovative, flexible arrangement whereby two or three schools, which do not have room for full permanent expansion by a form of entry, effectively share an additional form of entry between them by taking in in turns to admit an additional form of reception children within bespoke permanent accommodation.

Likely demand

From 2019 onwards, taking account of the likely ‘pupil yield’ from the recent, ongoing and future housing developments – e.g. the Gasholder, Latchmere House, Canbury car park and former Gala bingo hall6 – there is a forecast shortfall of 1–2FE.

Capacity 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 420 433 439 467 472 479

Recommendations

It is essential to provide a further 1FE to meet short to medium term demand. Expanding St Luke’s onto a second site would be the best option if a nearby site could be found for that purpose – Council- owned buildings within Acre Road might be suitable. The remaining need will be met by the over- provision in Area 2 from 2018 or 2019 onwards, depending on when GEMS Kingston Primary Academy eventually opens.

6 See: https://www.kingston.gov.uk/downloads/file/1780/north_kingston_development_brief_-_october_2016. 8

21. Area 2: Kingston Town and Norbiton

School(s) Current Comments and scope for expansion capacity King Athelstan Primary 2FE Expanded from 1FE before 2004, although only now is sufficient accommodation being provided to facilitate it; has room for expansion to 3FE. King’s Oak Primary 3FE Expanded from 2FE in 2014; no room for further expansion. Kingston Community School 2FE Established in September 2015 on a temporary site, in Acre Road (in Area 1), prior to its permanent site in Coombe Road becoming available for the 2018/2019 or 2019/2020 school year. St John’s Church of England Primary 1FE No room for expansion St Joseph’s Catholic Primary 1FE No room for expansion Total 9FE

Likely demand

From 2019 onwards, with imminent housing development in Kingston town centre, particularly of Ashdown Road, Eden Quarter, Surrey House and Thamesside Wharf, and smaller developments in Norbiton, there is a forecast short- to medium-term shortfall of up to a form of entry, which will be met by the opening of GEMS Kingston Primary Academy, a new free school, which is due to open in 2018 on its proposed permanent site, the Swan House (and neighbouring buildings) site on High Street, Kingston. Longer term, re-development of the Cambridge Road Estate and possible development of the Hogsmill Valley site are likely to mean that demand will increase significantly further.

Capacity 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 270 249 264 286 288 292

Recommendations

No action is required in the short to medium term. More work is needed to assess the additional demand which will be caused by the re-development of the Cambridge Road Estate and which could, in the long term, be met by expanding King Athelstan from two to three forms of entry, or through enabling a 2FE free school which could serve both Norbiton and New Malden (see Area 6).

22. Area 3: Chessington and Hook

School(s) Current Comments and scope for expansion capacity Castle Hill Primary 2FE Has room for expansion to 3FE. Ellingham Primary 2FE Expanded from 1FE in 2011; no room for further expansion. Lovelace Primary 3FE Expanded from 2FE in 2014; no room for further expansion. St Mary’s Church of England Primary 1FE No room for expansion.

St Paul’s Church of England Primary 1FE No room for expansion. Total 9FE

Likely demand

The expansion of Lovelace from 2014 has met forecast short to medium term demand within this area, and should absorb any additional demand from any redevelopment of Chessington Golf Course. Longer term, the Crossrail 2 Growth Commission7 has proposed a review of Green Belt and the creation of a major ‘garden city’ housing development beyond Chessington South Station when Crossrail 2 arrives in the 2030s; however, the Mayor of London, in the ‘City for All Londoners’ document, has effectively ruled out building on Green Belt.

Capacity 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 270 247 244 280 262 262

Options

If more places are required in the longer term, expanding Castle Hill by 1FE would be a relatively straightforward option, but a site for a new school would be needed in the apparently unlikely event of any new town plans coming to fruition.

Recommendations

No action is required at present. Longer term, it may become necessary to undertake a feasibility for the expansion of Castle Hill, and to identify a site for a new school should one be required.

7 Report published in July 2016. 10

23. Area 4: Surbiton

School(s) Current Comments and scope for expansion capacity Lime Tree Primary 2FE No room for expansion. Maple Infants’ and St Andrew’s 3FE Expanded to 3FE in 2015; no room for expansion and St Mark’s Church of England beyond that. Junior St Matthew’s Church of England 2FE Expanded from 1½FE in 2011; has room for Primary expansion to 3FE. Tolworth Infant and Tolworth 3FE Has room for expansion to 4FE, or could participate Junior in a shared form of entry with Christ Church (see Area 5). Total 10FE

Likely demand

The expansion of Maple and St Andrew’s and St Mark’s has met very localised demand from, inter alia, the ‘river roads’, but, with anticipated housing development at Surbiton Station car park and elsewhere in the area, there is likely to be a shortfall of at least 1FE in this area in the long term.

Capacity 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 300 289 283 312 302 302

Recommendations

If Parks House (see paragraph 4) were approved for opening in the Tolworth and Berrylands area (Area 5) it would meet the long-term need within this area also. If the re-application for the free school were unsuccessful, then expansions of existing schools would have to be undertaken. In the longer term, as a feasibility has already been undertaken into the possible expansion of the Tolworth schools, there is no urgent requirement for action. A feasibility could also be undertaken into expanding St Matthew’s if further places would ever be needed.

24. Area 5: Tolworth and Berrylands

School(s) Current Comments and scope for expansion capacity Christ Church of England Primary 2FE Is admitting an extra class in each year from (Surbiton) 2013 to 2017 as part of a shared form of entry; may have room for full expansion to 3FE. Grand Avenue Primary 3FE Expanded from 2FE in 2011; no room for further full expansion, but would be able to participate in a shared form of entry with Christ Church. Knollmead Primary 1FE Has room for expansion to 2FE, which was previously planned but has been put on hold. Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary 2FE No room for full expansion, but could be in a shared form of entry arrangement with Corpus Christi and St Agatha’s. Total 8FE

Likely demand

If the Stamp Education Trust two-form entry free school proposal, to be re-submitted in Wave 13 in 2017, were approved, it would meet demand in the medium to long term. But in light of the housing developments proposed at the Meyer Bergman-owned ex-Government Offices site on Hook Rise (which could result in up to 1,000 units), and approved at Tolworth Girls’ School, Tolworth Tower and Sundial Court, further places will be needed. Longer term, Crossrail 2 is likely to bring significant housing development in Tolworth and Berrylands.

Capacity 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 240 272 309 311 318 318

Recommendations

It would be prudent to await the outcome of the Wave 13 re-application by the Stamp Education Trust of their Parks House proposal, as the Council could long-lease the King Charles Centre to enable the school’s establishment. It is likely that, in addition, Knollmead Primary would need to be expanded, as it is the closest community school to the ex-Government Offices site and Tolworth Broadway.

25. Area 6: New Malden and Coombe

School(s) Current Comments and scope for expansion capacity Burlington Infant and Burlington 4FE Expanded from 3FE in 2011; could be expanded Junior to 5FE, or converted into all-through 2FE and 3FE primary schools, respectively. Coombe Hill Infant and Coombe Hill 3FE From 2015 onwards, Coombe Hill Infant is Junior admitting a fourth class every other year. Full expansion of both schools could be achieved. Christ Church (New Malden) Primary 2FE No room for expansion. Corpus Christi Catholic Primary 2FE Has room for expansion to 3FE or for participation within a shared form of entry with St Agatha’s and Our Lady Immaculate, but most of its extra places would be allocated to children living in Merton Borough or Worcester Park, rather than in New Malden and Coombe. Total 11FE

Likely demand

Completing the expansion of the Coombe Hill schools will meet demand in the short term. In the medium to longer term, the proposed redevelopment of Cocks Crescent and housing developments near New Malden Station and near Shannon Corner will create demand for a further 1–2FE.

Capacity 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 330 353 326 339 359 378

Recommendations

It is essential to undertake a feasibility study for the full expansion of the Coombe Hill schools. The other form of entry could be met by expanding the Burlington schools to 5FE or enabling a 2FE free school proposal to serve both New Malden and Norbiton.

26. Area 7: Old Malden and Worcester Park

Current provision

School(s) Current Comments and scope for expansion capacity Green Lane Primary 2FE No room for full expansion, but, despite its location within the London Borough of Sutton (where most of its pupils live) and proximity to the Merton part of Motspur Park, could be part of a shared form of entry with Malden Manor and Malden Parochial. Malden Manor Primary 2FE Has room for expansion to 3FE, or could be part of a shared for of entry with Green Lane and Malden Parochial, or – more probably – just the latter. Malden Parochial Church of England 1FE Has room for expansion to 2FE, or could be Primary part of a shared form of entry with Green Lane and Malden Manor, or – more probably – just the latter. Total 5FE

Likely demand

Although demand is forecast to exceed supply marginally in most years, the probable expansion of Knollmead in Area 5 and the addition of places in Area 6 will meet any excess demand from within this area.

Capacity 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 150 140 163 144 152 152

Recommendations

No action is required in the short to medium term, but, in the longer term, there may be a need to undertake feasibility studies into the expansion of Malden Manor and/or providing a shared form of entry between it and Malden Parochial.

27. Area 8: Coombe Hill

Current provision

School(s) Current Comments and scope for expansion capacity Robin Hood Primary 1FE Has room for expansion to 2FE, or could be part of a shared form of entry with Coombe Hill Infant and Junior. Total 1FE

Likely demand

There is no forecast need for more places within this area. Robin Hood admitted a bulge class in September 2014, but half of the additional places were filled by Wandsworth and Merton resident children.

Capacity 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 30 31 32 29 31 31

Recommendations

No action required.

28. The need (beyond the two forms of entry to be provided by the planned opening of GEMS Kingston Primary Academy in 2018) for, and actions for providing, more places are summarised below:

Area Need (FE) by term Outcome Actions Timescales Capital cost (est.)

Short Medium Long

Expansion of St Identify and secure a Summer 2017 Luke’s onto a site second site 1 1 0 0 Undertake a feasibility Autumn 2017

Commission design and 2018/2019 £3.5m build process 2FE free school Help ESFA to identify 2022/2023 (to serve Area site and assist provider 6 also) 2 0 0 2 Expansion of Undertake a feasibility 2025+ £2.5m King Athelstan and commission design and build process Expansion of Undertake a feasibility 2025+ £2.5m 3 0 0 1 Castle Hill

Expansion of Commission design and 2025+ £2.5m 4 1 0 1 Tolworth Infant build process and Junior 2FE free school Long-lease King Charles For September (to serve Area Centre 2019 4 also) Relocate Adult Ed. and For September £0.5m for CPD services 2019 decant 5 1 1 0

Expansion of Enable Coombe 2018/2019 £3m Knollmead Schools’ Trust to commission design and build process Expansion of Commission design and 2017/2018 £2m Coombe Hill build process Infant and Junior

Expansion of Commission design and 2021/2022 £2.5m Burlington build process 6 0 1 1 Infant and Junior

2FE free school Help ESFA to identify 2022/2023 (to serve Area 2 site and assist provider also) 7 0 0 0 N/A N/A N/A N/A 8 0 0 0 N/A N/A N/A N/A Total 3 2 5 £19m

SECONDARY PHASE

29. For 2017 entry, there are 1,873 places available in Year 7 within the borough, as follows:

School Published admission number Chessington Community College (CCC) 150 Coombe Boys’ School 180 Coombe Girls’ School 210 The Hollyfield School 180

The Holy Cross School 148 Richard Challoner School 150 Southborough High School 135 The Kingston Academy 180 The Tiffin Girls’ School 150 Tiffin School 180 Tolworth Girls’ School 240

30. Six of the 11 existing schools were full at the outset of the 2016/2017 Year 7, the exceptions being: CCC, Coombe Boys’, The Hollyfield, The Kingston Academy and Southborough High.

31. For 2017 entry, Southborough High has reduced its admission number from 150 to 135. For 2018 entry, Coombe Girls’ is increasing its admission number.

32. If required, 15 additional places could be created by reversing the reduction in admission number at Southborough High, when demand for places exceeds current capacity, as it is expected to do in 2020.

33. Secondary school forecasts are based on the number of pupils transferring from in-borough primary schools with the addition of estimated numbers transferring from out-borough schools and a projected 1% in-borough take-up increase year-on-year.

34. The advent of additional provision in neighbouring local authority areas – e.g. new schools in Merton, Richmond and Sutton – means that it is difficult to be definitive as to how soon a new school in the borough will be required. Close work is undertaken with neighbouring local authorities to ensure that new provision doesn’t significantly impact upon less popular existing schools, i.e. that it doesn’t duplicate existing provision. Some particularly helpful work in this regard has been carried out with Surrey County Council.

35. However, there is unlikely to be a need for further additional secondary places within the borough before at least 2020, as the table of forecast need below shows:

Capacity 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 1,873 1,786 1,786 1,838 1,979 1,967 1,939 1,963

36. Southwark Diocese announced its intention in January 2017 to submit an application in Wave 13, later this year, for a 6FE Anglican secondary free school to open in 2020. It is expected that if that application were approved, there would not be a need for another additional secondary school until around 2030.

SEND SCHOOLS AND RESOURCE PROVISONS

37. Achieving for Children’s strategy8 for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) outlines 15 main aims, including the following:

 Children with SEND will be educated in the Kingston and Richmond boroughs wherever possible.  All children will have the opportunity to be educated in their local community.  We will further develop provision in mainstream and special schools, as well as specialist resourced provisions within mainstream schools.  To continue to develop and support in-borough provision to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND in Kingston and Richmond, including AfC’s comprehensive training offer for the schools’ workforce.  To increase places for specialist Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) provision.

The SEND strategy is currently being revised and will be consulted upon later in 2017.

38. In Kingston, there are three special schools, which are Orchard Hill College Academy Trust academies: Bedelsford, for children and young people aged two to 19, who have a range of physical disabilities, including profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex health needs; Dysart, for children and young people aged four to 19 who have a range of severe and complex learning disabilities; and St Philip’s, for children and young people aged 11 to 16 with moderate learning difficulties.

39. In Richmond Borough, there are two special schools, which academised to form the Auriga Academy Trust in October 2016: Clarendon, for children and young people aged four to 16 with moderate learning difficulties and additional complex needs (including Autism); and Strathmore, for children and young people aged four to 19 with complex learning difficulties, many of whom have an additional diagnosis of ASD or have additional physical and sensory disabilities.

40. In September 2016, the Auriga Academy Trust, formed by Clarendon and Strathmore, applied to the DfE to run two special free schools: The Maaz, for 72 children and young people aged four to 19 with speech, language and communication or social, emotional and mental health issues, including ASD; and The Alioc, for 100 children and young people aged seven to 19 with complex behaviours associated with severe learning difficulties including ASD and sensory processing difficulties. As noted earlier in this document, Ministers approved the application for The Maaz but not for The Alioc. It is anticipated that The Maaz will open in Twickenham in 2019. It is expected that the application for The Alioc will be resubmitted in the Wave 13 application round later this year. If approved, there is space at the Moor Lane Centre site, Chessington, which could be used for the school.

41. The 72 places at The Maaz will add to the increase in local places provided by the recent expansions of all five special schools within the two boroughs:

2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016 2016/2017 2017/2018 Kingston Bedelsford 56 58 57 62 74 85 85 Dysart 66 70 72 72 81 82 96 St Philip’s 131 142 138 140 145 139 145 Richmond Clarendon 100 115 117 133 135 137 180 Strathmore 37 44 56 59 57 73 96 Total 390 429 440 466 492 516 602

8 See: https://www.afclocaloffer.org.uk/documents/350-afc-sen-strategy-2016-2019-full-colour-version.pdf. 18

42. In addition to the establishment of new special schools and the expansion of existing ones, a review of the ‘specialist resource provisions’ (SRPs) within the two boroughs has also been undertaken to identify whether or not they are still meeting the appropriate needs and to identify any gaps which could be plugged by establishing new provisions. A resource provision is defined as a provision attached to a mainstream school which provides bespoke education for a small number of children/young people with particular special educational needs.

43. The existing SRPs within Kingston Borough are as follows:

Phase School Needs catered for Nursery Surbiton Nursery ASD / Speech, Language & Communication Needs (SLCN) Nursery/Primary Alexandra Moderate to Severe Learning Difficulties (MLD/SLD) Nursery/Primary Castle Hill SLCN Primary Grand Avenue ASD / SLCN Nursery/Primary King’s Oak ASD / SLCN Nursery/Primary Knollmead ASD / SLCN, Hearing Impairments Primary Latchmere ASD / SLCN Primary Lime Tree ASD / SLCN Nursery/Primary Tolworth Infant / Junior MLD/SLD Secondary The Kingston Academy ASD / SLCN Secondary Richard Challoner ASD / Social, Emotional & Mental Health Needs (SEMH)

44. From January to April 2017, Achieving for Children undertook a ‘root and branch’ review of the forecast and emerging SEND trends within the boroughs of Kingston and Richmond, with a view to enabling as many children and young people with SEND to be educated locally, within their home community, rather than have to travel, sometimes over long distances, to out-borough schools. That review identified a number of gaps within existing local provision which, if filled, would help to educate many more children and young people within their home community.

45. The main presenting needs among current Kingston Borough children and young people with statements of SEN / Education, Health and Care Plans, as at March 2017, are outlined below:

Year-group Primary Aged Total need N R 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 19+ ASD 0 2 11 12 19 21 21 17 32 28 24 25 30 29 13 13 13 310 HI 0 0 2 0 2 2 2 5 0 2 1 0 3 0 1 0 2 22 MLD 1 1 10 1 6 7 7 10 10 14 6 11 8 11 13 2 4 122 MSI 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 PD 2 2 2 2 1 5 7 3 1 5 1 2 1 4 0 2 2 42 PMLD 2 1 2 0 1 0 2 1 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 15 SLD 0 0 1 3 3 1 2 4 5 1 2 3 2 3 2 5 8 45 SEMH 0 2 2 5 9 12 8 9 16 12 12 16 9 11 11 2 4 140 SpLD 0 0 0 0 3 3 2 2 4 5 6 4 5 3 5 3 0 45 SLCN 0 3 4 12 24 17 30 16 17 13 17 9 11 13 6 6 3 201 VI 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 1 2 2 0 1 1 0 0 13 NR 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 Other 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 6 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 13 Total 5 13 36 38 72 69 82 75 88 84 74 73 69 76 52 33 37 976

Key: ASD = Autistic Spectrum Disorders; HI = Hearing Impairment; MLD = Moderate Learning Difficulties; MSI = Multi- Sensory Impairment; PD = Physical Disabilities; PMLD = Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties; SLD = Severe Learning Difficulties; SEMH = Social and Emotional Mental Health difficulties; SpLD = Specific Learning Difficulties; SLCN = Speech and Language Communication Needs; VI = Visual Impairment; NR = not specifically recorded.

As many children and young people have more than one main presenting need, classifying them in this manner is not straightforward, but, nevertheless, it is clear that there are four types of main prevailing needs which between them make up 773 (79%) of the 976 statements and plans: ASD, MLD, SEMH and SLCN. Those four needs are also the most prevalent among Richmond Borough children and young people with statements of SEN / Education, Health and Care Plans.

46. It is therefore proposed that the majority of effort and funding should be put towards enhancing local provision for children and young people with those prevailing needs.

47. AfC recently asked schools to indicate whether they would be willing to accommodate an SRP and is currently assessing the expressions of interest, with a view to consulting on firm proposals later in 2017. An update will be provided when this strategy is reviewed in 2018.

EARLY YEARS

48. As with Reception class places, demand for free Early Years places in the borough is very high. According to the borough’s Childcare Sufficiency Audit for 2015/20169, 26 of the borough’s 341 childcare providers are ‘maintained’ nurseries: 25 of the 31 infant and primary schools in the borough have attached state-funded nurseries, and there is one stand-alone nursery school, Surbiton Nursery. The table below identifies the number of full-time equivalent places currently available at each school. Schools with vacant capacity could provide the 30 hours entitlement offer to eligible working parents, either via current capacity or in partnership with before- and after-school club providers.

Nursery Places Alexandra 78 Burlington Infant 104

Castle Hill Primary 78 Christ Church Primary (NM) 52 Corpus Christi Primary 52 Ellingham Primary 52 Fern Hill Primary 52

Grand Avenue Primary 52 Green Lane Primary 52 King Athelstan Primary 52 King’s Oak Primary 104 Knollmead Primary 52 Latchmere 78 Lime Tree Primary 52 Lovelace Primary 52

Malden Manor Primary 52 Malden Parochial CE Primary 52 Maple Infants’ 52 Robin Hood Primary 52 St Agatha’s Catholic Primary 52

St John’s CE Primary 52 St Joseph’s Catholic Primary 52 St Luke’s CE Primary 52 St Mary’s CE Primary 26 Surbiton Nursery 118 Tolworth Infant 56 Total 1,578

49. Each school allocates its own places in accordance with published oversubscription criteria. For the community schools, the nursery criteria are the same as for Reception class places, i.e. most places are allocated to siblings and on the basis of home-to-school distance. (However, it should be noted that attendance at the nursery or having a younger sibling at the nursery does not form part of the criteria for entry to Reception and higher primary year-groups.) Unlike for entry to Reception, the

9 Report published in 2016. 21

Council does not have a statutory duty to coordinate applications for the nursery schools and therefore does not have any central role in nursery admissions.

50. Two-thirds – 2,703 – of the 4,190 early year’s childcare places for three- and four-year-olds in the borough are within the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector. The Council has a duty to ensure that there is sufficient childcare for those parents that need it. Providing sufficient places at or within the early education funding rate is a significant challenge for the PVI sector, therefore, most of the free three- and four-year-old places are within the maintained nursery classes. This places families with a low income at a disadvantage.

51. Some of the PVI nurseries also offer free places for two-year-olds. Provision for two year olds to access early education places has increased, with 40% of the population eligible from 1 September 2014. For two-year-olds, the Council has a statutory duty to secure free early education places for every child in their area that is either looked-after or who falls within the eligibility criteria for free school meals. In January 2016, the Council ensured the provision of 330 free places for two-year-olds, equating to 72% of the 460 eligible children.

52. All Early Years providers who offer the early education entitlement must adhere to the provisions of the Department for Education’s Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. However, it is likely that maintained nurseries will change their traditional models of delivery because many parents and carers would like a more flexible, extended model, and that demand is expected to increase as the 30 hours offer develops.

53. For three- and four-year-olds, the Council has a statutory duty to secure early education funded places for every child in their area whose parents require it.

54. It is difficult to estimate the amount of unmet demand for maintained nursery places within the borough for three- and four-year-olds. The introduction of the 30 hours entitlement for working parents to commence September 2017 may increase demand within the 26 nurseries if they are able to offer the extended day that working parents will need.

55. For the current offer of 15 hours, evidence shows that parents are challenged to find places that are entirely free of charge for 15 hours per week for 38 weeks a year. In January 2015, 46.7% of three year olds in the borough were accessing maintained nursery provision, 49.2% were in PVIs and 4% were in independent schools.

56. There are three possible methods for providing additional maintained nursery places:

A. Open new nurseries at other state-funded infant and primary schools within the borough. There is no direct funding available for nursery expansion, but some additional capacity could be created as part of a school expansion. If this option is pursued, the selection criteria must be based on current unmet need. The Early Years’ Service has completed the Childcare Sufficiency Update 2015/201610 which provides local data on the supply and demand for childcare places and will enable informed decisions to be made about developing additional places.

B. Bring private nurseries on state-funded school sites into the maintained sector. Some schools are already considering this option and are in discussion with the Early Years’ Service.

C. Expand the number of places at some of the existing maintained nurseries.

10 https://www.kingston.gov.uk/downloads/download/445/childcare_sufficiency_assessment_csa. 22

All options to increase nursery places could also offer some additional new provision within the nursery class for disadvantaged two year olds. The introduction of the 30 hours entitlement for working parents will also give the opportunity for maintained schools to develop out of school provision either themselves or in partnership with a third party.

57. The geographical distribution of the current maintained nurseries within the borough is good. The expansion of statutory school age provision over the last few years has enabled the number of places to keep in line with children progressing through maintained school nurseries.

58. In July 2016, three schools submitted expressions of interest to increase maintained nursery provision to support the introduction of the 30 hours entitlement for working parents. It is also likely that some schools will consider increasing the number of places available for children to access the 15 hours entitlement where physical space exists to enable expansion.

59. With very limited capital funding it is essential that additional maintained nursery capacity is created where it is needed most for the 15 hours entitlement and the 30 hours entitlement. The expressions of interest which have been received are being considered and a priority list will be agreed should any funding be available.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

60. Since 2011, the Council has received ‘Basic Need’ allocations11 from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) of £50,908.976, including the last amount of £2,408,315 which covers the 2019/2020 period. Those allocations, supported by additional Council funding, have funded the provision of 12.5 additional forms of Reception entry, including the establishment of Lime Tree Primary School in 2012 and, most recently, the conversion of Alexandra Infant and St Paul’s Church of England Junior into all- through primary schools from September 2016. Full details of how additional Reception places have been provided – permanently and temporarily – since 2007 are appended in Appendix 1, on page 26.

61. The average cost of permanently expanding a primary school, or a pair of infant and junior schools, within the borough is now approximately £2.5–3m. It is anticipated that the costs of the proposals set out in paragraph 28 would be met from future years grant allocations although no certainty of funding has been provided beyond 2019/2020.

62. The EFA is responsible for the capital costs of free school proposals which are approved for opening. The Council would be expected to long-lease sites within its ownership which are suitable for free school use, but would need to balance the cost-free provision of new permanent school places against the loss of potential income from such sites.

63. The costs of temporary expansions (‘bulge classes’) can vary from less than £100,000 within existing school spaces to the cost of a single demountable at c.£150,000, and a double demountable at c.£250,000. Bulge classes are, though, considered to represent comparatively poor value for money compared with permanent expansions and do not attract the same levels of capital investment. They are also less helpful to parents and to the schools concerned, as they are sometimes announced only after the initial offers of application, due primarily to the variable and therefore unpredictable amount and distribution of children whose parents ultimately plump for the private sector. In any case, as the report indicates, there are relatively few schools within the areas of the borough where there is a forecast need for places which still have space to accommodate temporary expansions.

64. Each expansion, whether permanent or temporary, would also require revenue funding, to pay for seven-twelfths of the costs of a teacher, teaching assistant and other resources for the period from September to April, of c.£48,000. These costs would be paid from the Dedicated Schools Grant Growth Fund until such time as the proposed National Funding Formula is implemented, from 2018, when there will be an allocation through the formula, baselined on the Council’s current expenditure.

65. In March 2017, the ESFA allocated £1,688,448 to the Council for SEND capital projects. It is envisaged that this money will be used to establish the proposed additional specialist resource provisions mentioned in point 47, above.

11 See: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/basic-need-allocations. 24

RISK ASSESSMENT

66. The borough has a statutory duty under Section 14 of the Education Act to ensure the provision of school places for its residents. Failure to meet that duty would result in significant adverse publicity for the borough and could result in legal action being taken against it for failure to provide education.

67. If the borough and its partner agencies and education providers were unable to implement the proposed expansions and/or secure new schools, it would continue to be reliant upon temporary additional classes, which do not represent good value for money and can be more disruptive for schools’ organisation than strategically planned permanent provision. The borough could also run out of viable options for temporary additional classes in due course, due to a lack of space on school sites, so its long-term ability to provide sufficient places for its residents would be compromised.

68. If the Council were unable to establish / secure new specialist resource provisions and special free schools, expenditure on the High Needs block of the Dedicated Schools’ grant would further increase.

CONTACT

Matthew Paul, Associate Director for School Place Planning, Achieving for Children – providing children’s services for Kingston and Richmond; 020 8547 6246, [email protected].

APPENDICES

The tables on pages 26 and 27 show where additional Reception and Year 7 places have been, and will be, provided across the borough.

Appendix 1: Primary schools’ capacity, 2007–2018

Entering Reception in . . . 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Transferring to Yr 7 in . . . 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Area School 1 Alexandra 60 90 90 60 90 90 120 90 90 60 60 60 Fern Hill 90 90 90 60 90 90 120 90 90 90 90 90 Latchmere 90 90 120 90 120 120 120 150 120 120 120 120 St Agatha's 60 60 60 90 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 St Luke's 30 30 30 60 30 30 30 30 60 30 60 30 St Paul’s, Kingston 60 60 60 Total 330 360 390 360 390 390 450 420 420 420 450 420 2 King Athelstan 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 King's Oak 60 60 60 60 60 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 Kingston Comm. 30 60 60 60 St John's 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 St Joseph's 30 30 30 60 60 60 30 30 30 30 30 30 Total 180 180 180 210 210 240 210 210 270 270 270 270 3 Castle Hill 60 60 60 90 90 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 Ellingham 30 30 30 30 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 Lovelace 60 90 90 90 60 60 90 90 90 90 90 90 St Mary's 30 30 30 30 30 60 30 30 30 30 30 30 St Paul’s, Hook 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 Total 210 240 240 270 270 270 270 270 270 270 270 270 4 Lime Tree 90* 60 60 60 60 60 60 Maple 60 90 90 60 90 90 60 90 90 90 90 90 St Matthew's 45 45 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 Tolworth 90 90 120 90 120 90 120 90 90 90 90 90 Total 195 225 270 210 270 330 300 300 300 300 300 300 5 Christ Church 60 90 90 60 60 60 90 90 90 90 90 60 Grand Avenue 60 60 60 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 90 Knollmead 30 30 60 60 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 Our Lady Immac. 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 Total 210 240 270 270 240 240 270 270 270 270 270 240 6 Burlington 90 120 120 90 120 120 120 120 120 120 120 120 Christ Church 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 Coombe Hill 90 120 90 90 120 90 120 90 120 90 120 90 Corpus Christi 60 60 60 90 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 Total 300 360 330 330 360 330 360 330 360 330 360 330 7 Green Lane 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 Malden Manor 60 60 60 90 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 60 Malden Parochial 30 30 30 30 30 60 60 30 30 30 30 30 Total 150 150 150 180 150 180 180 150 150 150 150 150 8 Robin Hood 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 60 30 30 30 30 Total 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 60 30 30 30 30 Total 1605 1785 1860 1860 1920 2010 2070 2010 2040 2070 2100 2010 New permanent FE 0 0 0 0 6.5 2 0 2 2 2 0 0 Number of bulges 1 7 8.5 9 5 6 8 3 3 1 3 0

Figures in bold = new permanent provision; figures italicized = temporary, ‘bulge class’ provision. * Lime Tree admitted a bulge class in its first year, in addition to its normal intake of 60.

Appendix 2: Secondary schools’ capacity, 2014–2022

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Chessington Community College 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 Coombe Boys’ 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 Coombe Girls’ 210 210 210 210 240 240 240 240 240 Richard Challoner 135 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 150 Southborough High 150 150 150 135 135 135 135 135 135 The Hollyfield 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 The Holy Cross 148 148 148 148 148 148 148 148 148 The Kingston Academy 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 The Tiffin Girls’ 150 150 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 Tiffin School 150 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 Tolworth Girls’ 150 150 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 Total 1,603 1,828 1,888 1,873 1,903 1,903 1,903 1,903 1,903

Italics = decrease in PAN; bold = increase in PAN. The capacity in 2014 had been the same for many years before then.