Agenda item

RESOLVED:

·         That the report be noted.

Angela Scattergood (Director of Education Services) and Matthew Henaughan (Head of Business Infrastructure, Compliance and Education Operations) introduced the report. The following key points were noted:

4.1. It was reported that pupil numbers were cyclical and kept in-line with long-term trends. Overall population growth in Lewisham meant the school cohort would be growing as well. However, currently numbers in primary schools were down which was mainly driven by the falling birth-rate. Officers had been working with primary schools to reduce the supply of places.

4.1. Even though the pupil numbers were down in primary schools, the current primary cohort in reception this year was above forecast.

4.1. Secondary schools in Lewisham were increasingly becoming schools of choice. The current Year 7 cohort was the largest cohort for a Lewisham school in the past 20 years.

4.1. There was an ongoing focus on providing more SEND spaces within the borough.

4.1. The Greenvale school expansion was now complete. The Committee was invited to visit this school which offered a total of 230 places for secondary aged children with Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) and/or Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD).

Committee members were invited to ask questions. The following key points were noted:

4.1. There had been large growth areas in Lewisham in terms of new housing particularly in the central corridor and the north-west of the borough. Previously there had been an expansion programme for spaces in primary & secondary schools in the north-west of the borough because of the planning applications for large scale developments such as Convoy’s wharf, New Bermondsey etc. Due to various economic factors, it had taken a long time for these developments to come around and as a result the Council already had some surplus school places in these growth areas.

4.1. Officers in education services work closely with colleagues in the Council’s planning team to ensure that planning applications were considered as part of forecasting spaces in schools in those geographic areas.

4.1. Officers were trying to utilise the spare physical capacity that we had in schools to provide either resource bases (which was one element that sat between mainstream provision and a special school) or utilising the space as a satellite to the special school.

4.1. London Councils had published the forecast about falling reception rolls over the next 4 years which showcased a 7% drop in London. Although that may seem to be a threat to the viability of certain primaries, it was an opportunity to match supply and demand for SEND provisions.

4.1. Schools where the potential number of children on roll didn’t align with the published admissions number (PAN) were considered to be ‘at risk’. There were currently 5 schools in Lewisham in this category. However, being at-risk didn’t mean the schools were in danger of closing down but that conversations needed to be had with these schools about their position so that proactive choices could be made about their future.

4.1. The Committee was pleased to note the encouraging statistics around the take-up of places in Lewisham’s secondary schools.

4.1. Councillor Chris Barnham, the Cabinet Member for Children's Services and School Performance addressed the Committee. He stated that the report by London Councils on the school places and falling reception rolls highlighted a London-wide issue and that all London boroughs agreed that more action on this was needed from the Government.

RESOLVED:

·         That the Committee noted the report and welcomed the encouraging statistics around the increasing take-up of places in Lewisham’s secondary schools.