7.1
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The Committee
considered a report of the Director of Children’s Services
seeking agreement to proceed with secondary school expansion plans
in Planning Area 5 in the east of the city, to address the forecast
deficit of places in 2023/24 due to new housing and population
growth.
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Arising from
consideration of the proposals in the report, the Director of
Children’s Services agreed to:-
·
Arrange for school and early years’
provision maps to be published on the Council’s website;
and
·
Ensure that details of the planning work
being undertaken with adjacent local authorities be included within
the report to be submitted to the December meeting of the Committee
on mainstream sufficiency, which will provide an overview of the 3
year strategy to ensure sufficient provision across early years,
childcare, primary, secondary and post-16 provision.
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7.2
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RESOLVED
UNANIMOUSLY: That the
Education, Children and Families Policy Committee:-
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(a) agrees the proposed
secondary school expansion plans in Planning Area 5, which will
enable the Local Authority to fulfil its statutory duty and ensure
sufficient secondary places are available to meet the forecast
demand in 2023/24; and
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(b) agrees for up to
£5.5m of the remaining balance of Basic Need funding to be
utilised to fund the proposed expansions.
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7.3
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Reasons for Decision
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7.3.1
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The proposed
expansions in Planning Area 5 will contribute to:-
·
Need for
places: without additional places in the area, the impact on
families of not getting a local place will be significant as well
as the impact on neighbouring schools.
·
Children’s outcomes: the standard of education that
are provided at the two schools is of a good quality – both
schools are rated by Ofsted as “Good.”
·
Equality:
the catchment area is characterised by deprivation and a higher
proportion of Black and Minority Ethnic population. By increasing
places at these two schools the needs of all children are met, in
particular the needs of more vulnerable children and families
located in the city.
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7.4
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Alternatives Considered and Rejected
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7.4.1
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A detailed Options Appraisal
was undertaken to consider alternative options to help address the
secondary deficits from 2023/24 onwards. This is set out in Annex 1
of the report.
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