To consider the report of the Executive Member for Childrens Services regarding the Council’s statutory duty to provide sufficient places in schools and early years settings.

The Executive Member for Children’s Services presented a report regarding Education and Early Years Basic Need and High Needs Capital. The report sets out to address the shortfall in school places and for Trafford to meet the needs of children and young people with people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Trafford is a popular authority due to its excellent educational provision and the Dfe values the Council for managing provisions for places. Since 2010 an additional 4646 places have been created and the report details the rise of applications for both primary and high schools and schools have been expanded to meet the unprecedented demand for places. The report also mentions about the efforts of officers, local Councillors and the two MPs for the Altricham and Sale area to secure a new school in this area but this was rejected by the Dfe. The Member referred to Section 4 of the report discusses the Free Early Education Places, a government initiative. This has been beset with practical issues in Trafford as we are not sure Trafford will have the numbers of staff to be able to provide the free childcare that is being offered There is a sufficiency exercise underway to see if it is sustainable. We are waiting for funding details from the government. Section 5 details School Places Demand for SEND and about increasing the number of places at schools which is part of the Council’s Strategic Initiative. Our strategic priorities are to increase capacity within local specialist provision, including small specialist classes and resourced provision within mainstream schools, to meet the increasing demands for places.

The Leader emphasised that the report demonstrates how the Council plans school places as and when demographics change, property numbers so its important that this is looked at on a regular basis.

The Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration echoed Council Carter’s thanks to officers and the Dfe recognition for Trafford’s good approach to school applications faced with significant demand and need changes and the calm approach to those challenges.

Councillor Ennis referred to regeneration works and increasing demand if there is an increasing demand in the Waterside development what are the reasons behind Dfe rejecting the need for a new school in the south Trafford area. On SEND where a child is without a SEND place how often should Trafford be touching base with that family.

The Executive Member for Children’s Services the government sets sizes of schools which is currently 750 pupils. Trafford does not have 750 families without a place. It was averaging around 90 in Sale and Altrincham. With the schools around Trafford showing places available, on paper we have enough provision in the Borough and that is how the government makes its decision. All the high schools in the Sale and Altrincham area are on tight sites and not able to expand.

Councillor Ennis further queried that given the new development proposed at Timperley Wedge how will this development support the additional school need.

The Executive Member for Children’s Services responded informing that the government have a formulae they use for when house are built so we can only go forward on what we currently know.

The Corporate Director for Children’s Services added that Section 3 in the report sets the reasons are for building new schools and echoed the Executive Member for Children’s Services comments regarding Government’s formulae on new schools and the demand does not outweigh the number of school places available in the Borough so there is not sufficient demand to warrant the building of a new school.

With regard to the SEND question the Executive Member for Children’s Services we are limited by the consent of parents in what we can do. Regarding the Council’s ability to meet placements. The overspend on higher needs suggest that the Council is working hard to make sure for parental requests to meet the needs in terms of children with SEND regardless of whether it is inside or outside the Borough.

Councillor Evans referred to Section 2.6 in the report, the table ratings, he would like to see this expanded when this updated at a future meeting to see where these places are.

The Executive Member for Children’s Services advised that the detail the Councillor refers to is available. Realistically parental choice is limited dependent on where you live. Unless parents live close to a school that choice is not available.

The Corporate Director for Children’s Services referred to Section 2 of the report which shows that 99 per cent of primary school parental allocations have been allocated as per their three choices. So there is a good level of compliance in the primary sector on choice.

Councillor Ennis further added that his worry is for the deprived child in Partington who as a result of where they are is never going to see an opportunity to have any choice of school. He will approach Dfe about the problem.

Councillor Butt welcomes the development at Altrincham College.

The Executive Member for Children’s Services advised that it’s a complex project for Sport England who could be more helpful but we will deliver another 300 places which has now been pushed back to 2026.

Councillor Welton has sympathy for officers working on this. He made reference to those schools who have unhelpful selection policies which could be amended to help include those 90 places that Trafford are looking to place.

RESOLVED: That the Executive agrees the proposals contained within this report as the detailed capital programme for 2024/25, specifically:

(i)             Note the demand for primary and secondary school places as set out in sections 2 and 3 of the report.

(ii)            Note the demand for free early years provision as set out in section 4 of the report.

(iii)          Note the demand for SEND school places as set out in section 5 of the report.

(iv)          Approve the proposals detailed in sections 6.2 and 6.4 of the report to create the following additional school places:

(v)           Stretford High School – increase the Published Admission Number (PAN, the maximum number of pupils that the admission authority will admit to each year group) by 10 places from September 2023.

(vi)          Sale High School – bulge class of 30 places for September 2023 (funded from existing budgets).

(vii)         Park Road Primary, Sale – accessibility works for a pupil placed at school via the Fair Access Protocol.

(viii)       The Orchards – increase of 10 places through creation of a Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD) suite.

(ix)          Approve the Secondary School expansion proposals detailed in section 6.3 of the report:

(x)           Altrincham College (6FE to 8FE) 60 places – additional funding.

(xi)          Broadoak School (4FE to 6FE) 60 places

(xii)         Approve the High Needs (SEND) capital proposal detailed in section 6.5 of this report:

(xiii)       Brentwood School (increase from 45 places to 80 places including individual learning spaces) – additional funding.

(xiv)       Approve the allocation of Basic Need capital funding and High Needs Capital Provision to carry out work to improve the facilities and expand provision for pupils detailed in Appendix A: Proposed Capital Projects, Basic Need Capital Programme, Table 1 and High Needs (SEND) Capital Provision Programme, Table 2.

(xv)        Note the completion of previous SEND / High Needs Capital schemes in Appendix B.