To comment on the Cabinet report.

The Panel received a presentation on the Cabinet report regarding the borough’s strategy to meet the likely impact of the emerging Borough Local Plan on the demand for school places in the borough.

Members were informed that the report set out the educational infrastructure that would be needed for the 14,000 extra homes described in the emerging Borough Local Plan by 2032/33. The paper set out the council’s analysis of and approach to meet that demand.

Modelling, set out in the report, suggested that there could be a need for a total of 8,900 places over the next 15 years, with the first places needed in September 2019, 2020 and 2021.  This equated to 20-22 new classes in each year group from the youngest in Reception year to post 16 capacity. The analysis was based on the housing trajectory within the BLP and updated pupil yields based on the current population of the borough.  Table 1 in the report set out the resulting expected shortfall of school capacity. The modelling based on historically high levels of birth rate and 86% of schools judged Good or Outstanding suggested the council could lower the surplus place policy from 10% to 5%.

Members noted that meeting this level of demand would require the development of new schools in addition to the expansion of existing schools. Five new school sites had been identified in the BLP and it was assumed that these sites would be home to new Free Schools in line with government policy.

The report indicated a budget cost of £277m to deliver the places and a 5% surplus, a new SEND school, some early years capacity and the existing £33m investment in secondary school expansions. Funding came from various sources:  Free school funding, government Basic Need Grant, CIL/S106 and other capital receipts.  This was modelled in future financial planning projections.

The council was setting out a policy of requiring all parties to sign a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) clearly setting out the terms of any school expansions.  This would ensure clarity and transparency across all negotiations while allowing council officers to explore any options and ideas that were generated to meet the likely need.

The report provided the latest projections, with action needed in the Windsor middle schools, where consultation was already underway, and potentially Maidenhead primary for September 2020.  

Mr Louden asked what the plans were regarding education provision for the golf course development and was informed that an all through school was planned but there were no plans in place yet.

Cllr Jones asked what happens before the BLP was adopted and was informed that there would be an evidence based conversation with the developer on what education provision was required.

Cllr E Wilson mentioned that the secondary schools that had expanded had not applied for government funding.  The Panel were informed that the conditional improvement fund had a maintenance criteria and that there had been no school that had been able to access it for expansion.

Resolved unanimously: that the Children’s Services O&S Panel considered the Cabinet report and fully endorsed the recommendations. The Panel felt that the Memorandum of Understanding was a good idea and it was recommended that academies should be asked if they had tried to get expansion funding via the Conditional Improvement.