Agenda item

Members asked about any reasons for reductions in projections, especially in the primary range, since the previous School Organisation Plan.

Officers noted that a range various formula were used for creating projections. This was reviewed on an annual basis. Projections had been accurate over recent years, and officers were confident in their accuracy. There had been a slight change in the birth rate, which would impact projections. Other considerations included migration to the borough and changes in the demographic with the authority.

The methodology for secondary places using two education planning areas was discussed. Issues such as fewer first preferences in secondary schools, mismatches between children going north and south, and the unintended consequences of children spending more time travelling to school were raised. Use of the Fair Access Panel was also noted. Whilst discussions had taken place on reverting to three planning areas, the number of planning areas remained at two, and the peak for Year 7s had passed. Surplus places were expected to appear after September 2026. Bulge classes had been requested over the last five to six years as the new free school had not come online as planned. These bulge classes were unlikely to be needed moving forward.

Members raised concerns about the potential future lack of space in secondary schools due to the current bulge problem. Members asked how secondary schools would be supported. The School Organisation Plan helped with conversations with primary and secondary leads that were ongoing, and PAN reductions were part of the strategy to avoid financial difficulties for schools. Termly monitoring would also help. It was noted that parental preference was key.

Members asked about the retention of teachers and the quality of teaching provision across the borough. Officers noted that it was a competitive market but currently there were no major challenges being reported by schools. Vacancies were staffed by fully qualified teachers. There was a healthy initial teacher training programme. Recruitment from overseas was also common. Hillingdon was an attractive place for teachers, and the outer London weighting was noted.

Members noted the inner and outer London weighting, and suggested best practices such as relaxed working days and PPA time from home. Officers noted that there were more challenges around recruiting special needs teachers. Schools were encouraged to create supportive mechanisms for recruitment, but local decisions varied. There was a longer term plan to work with schools on these types of strategies.

Members addressed the issue of providing enough places for children with special needs within the borough. The number of special school places currently exceeded the national average, and efforts were being made to support children with EHCPs accessing mainstream education. Officers had been doing a lot of work around banding and identifying different needs, and would then create admissions guidance to support this. It was noted that the complexity of needs was increasing, but there were more places than the national average. A new free special school was due to come online in the next few years, and more places were being created around SRPs (specialist resource provision) and DUs (designated units). An upcoming project would involve developing more SRPs and DUs in secondaries to ensure that they match the numbers in primaries to provide a clear pathway. There was not a need currently for more special school places. There were a mix of children in mainstream schools who could benefit from special school and vice versa.

Members asked about the timeframe for the rebanding project. This had been ongoing for the past 18 months and an external specialist SEND consultant had been utilised to lead on it. This had been done in partnership with school leaders. The mainstream banding framework had been completed and implemented in September 2024. The special school framework had just been completed and was about to be implemented from 01 April. The mainstream framework would be implemented over two years, while the special school framework would be implemented all in one go. Some schools would see a loss in funding and so officers were putting transitional funding arrangements in place. This work meant that there was a clear vision and would help in future planning.

Members asked about the key performance indicators used to monitor the effectiveness of school placements. The School Organisation Plan had been a positive step forward in helping monitor numbers and ensuring sufficient places. Regular conversations with schools were held to support them. Officers aimed for a 5-8% vacancy level to allow for different movements in and out of the borough. This also helped avoid too many unfilled places which may have financial disadvantages. Ensuring that schools and parents can understand the School Organisation Plan was also important.

Members asked if it was policy to direct children with SEND to schools with inclusive practices. Officers noted that the approach was the opposite of this. A key part of the strategy was for all schools to be inclusive. It was noted that some schools were hotspots for SEND and attracted families because of their good practise. An approach within the strategy was to consult with the nearest mainstream school that had the capacity and resources. Efforts were being made to support all schools in becoming inclusive. Officers further noted the EHCP Plus team to support complex needs, and the pilot project with the Centre for ADHD and Autism whereby there was a youth worker in four secondary schools to support inclusion when transitioning to secondary phase.

Members asked about the need to put more SRPs in secondary schools. Conversations with secondary schools were ongoing, and efforts were being made to match the number of places in primary and secondary schools.

Members asked about a site for the new free school. There was a site earmarked, but officers were awaiting an update from the DfE.

Members addressed the capacity to provide early years education for all children. Currently, there were sufficient places, but close monitoring was needed.

Members suggested conducting an audit of unfilled class spaces in primary schools. Logistical considerations would have to be made for this. Officers noted that net capacity assessments were being done, and conversations with schools about available capacity were ongoing. A full audit could be looked into, but this would be difficult without looking at each school in detail to ascertain their capacity needs. It was noted that teams were encouraged to go out and visit schools a lot.

Members noted that it would be useful to have a map of Year 7 placements

RESOLVED: That the Children, Families & Education Select Committee:

1. Considered the updated School Organisation Plan with the latest data and forecasts; and

2. Delegated comments for inclusion in the Cabinet Member report to the Democratic Services Officer in conjunction with the Chair and in consultation with the Opposition Lead