Extra places for eight schools approved

Kingsway Park High School is to get an additional 30 places from September 2017

A recommendation to provide extra school places across the Borough was approved at Monday’s cabinet meeting as it is anticipated there will be more children wanting reception class places.

Boarshaw CP School
Increase the admission number to 60 from September 2018 for each new successive year group, from the current admission number of 30.

Falinge Park High School
Increase the admission number to 270 from September 2017 for each new successive year group, from the current admission number of 240.

Kingsway Park High School
Increase the admission number to 270 from September 2017 for each new successive year group, from the current admission number of 240.

Matthew Moss High School
Increase the admission number to 240 from September 2018 for each new successive year group, from the current admission number of 210.

St Andrew’s CE Primary School
Increase the admission number to 60 from September 2017 for each new successive year group, from the current admission number of 45.

St Joseph’s RC Primary School
Increase the admission number to 60 from September 2017 for each new successive year group, from the current admission number of 45.

Whittaker Moss Primary School
Increase the admission number to 60 from September 2017 for each new successive year group, from the current admission number of 45.

Woodland Primary School
Increase the admission number to 90 from September 2018 for each new successive year group, from the current admission number of 60.

All proposals are subject to planning consent for the required building work.

The capital investment for schools 2017/18 was also approved, noting the future allocations as follows:

• Basic Need (New School Places 2017/18) £11,818,280
• Basic Need (New School Places 2018/19) £5,200,090
• School Condition Allocation (EFA indicative figure for 2017/18) £1,966,221
• Devolved Formula Capital (DFC) (EFA indicative figure for 2017/18) £513, 856

The Basic Need grant allocation is provided by the Department for Education (DfE) to make available new school places in accordance with demands across the borough. Existing commitments have been documented in previous reports to the Council Cabinet in March and October 2015 and 2016 and the remaining allocation will be dedicated to the provision of further new school places.

Detailed proposals for the use of subsequent year’s unallocated Basic Need grant will be dependent upon further monitoring and analysis of primary and secondary school place demand for September 2018 onwards.

The School Condition Allocation grant covers both primary and secondary schools, but is weighted by the Department for Education (DfE) in favour of those schools which have not received new build/refurbishment investment.

It is proposed that the allocation is targeted at primary schools given the investment in secondary schools through Building Schools for the Future (BSF). However, recognising that secondary schools may have specific, urgent needs or a new requirement for work to areas of the buildings outside the scope of the BSF programme, a contingency is available to support this, if necessary.

All schools receive a capital allocation which has to be spent over a three-year period, targeted at school condition priorities, in accordance with the locally agreed asset management priorities and guidance issued by the DfE.

The DfE indicative figure for 2017/18 is £513,856 and is divided between all schools (except Voluntary Aided Schools which receive their allocations direct from the DfE). With the limited DFC allocations held by schools for condition and suitability works, there will remain an expectation that support at a similar level to previous years is offered.