Agenda item

To receive an update on the growth in pupil numbers and the work the Council is undertaking in relation to it.

The Cabinet Member: Children, Young People & Families presented the report of the Director: Education & Skills. The report identified that there had been an 18% increase in the number of children on roll at primary schools within the Borough over the last 10 years, with a 17% increase in secondary school rolls over the same period.

The report provided an update on the development of a new schools in Castle Farm Way / A5 area and Allscott and the expansion of Lawley Village Academy and Ercall Wood School. The report also included the increased provision for SEN hubs across primary and secondary schools in the Borough, providing additional capacity for children to attend education in their local communities.

Cabinet Members welcomed the report and the investment into schools across the Borough. Cabinet Members in particular welcomed the provision of the SEN hubs, allowing children to access education within their own communities.

The Leader of the Conservative Group queried provision within the Newport area, including sixth form provision. The Cabinet Member: Children, Young People & Families advised that investment had been made into Newport Infant School, Newport Junior School, the Burton Borough School, Haberdasher’s Adams’ and Newport Girls High School, all of which were in the Newport area. Section 106 funding from development within Newport would only be spent on education in the Newport area. Newport had two sixth forms and the new sixth form provision at the Station Quarter would attract students from across the Borough.

RESOLVED that:

a)    The position on the current and projected demand for school places and the action taken to date to manage the supply of school places be noted;

b)   Authority be delegated to the Director: Education & Skills, in consultation with the Director: Finance & HRF and the Cabinet Member: Children, Young People & Families to allocate the basic need grant and high need capital funding, including allocations for 2022-25, and relevant section 106 funding, in relation to the provision of mainstream and specialist provision across all age groups within the Borough;

c)    The proposed acquisition of land to the Council that was negotiated as part of the s106 agreement, so at no financial cost, on the Castle Farm Way / A5 site in Priorslee and onwards lease to the Department for Education (DfE) who will act as an agent for the Thomas Telford Trust who have been granted sponsorship of the new free school, for the provision of additional primary education places be approved;

d)   Authority be delegated to the Director: Education & Skills, in consultation with the Director: Finance & HR and the Cabinet Member: Children, Young People & Families, to take all necessary steps to implement the proposed expansion of Lawley Village Academy by 210 primary school places and 30 nursery provision places subject to such expansion being in accordance with the available budget;

e)    Authority be delegated to the Director: Education & Skills, in consultation with the Director: Finance & HR and the Cabinet Member: Children, Young People & Families to take all necessary steps to implement the proposed expansion of Ercall Wood Academy  by at least 150 secondary places and create additional class bases across the secondary estate to create a further 150 places, subject to such expansions being in accordance with outcomes from feasibility studies and the available budget.