Report of the Director of Education and the Head of Access and Sufficiency attached

The Executive considered a report of the Director of Education, which        provided an overview of Manchester’s current school age population and the numbers forecast for future academic years. It also detailed work previously undertaken and that which was planned to achieve a sufficiency of school places.

The Executive Member for Children and Families reported that in response to the increasing demand for school places the Council continued to work with its partners to develop additional places in targeted areas, utilising capital funding provided by the Government to the Council for this purpose (known as Basic Need capital funding), as well as through access to some additional sources of funding where possible and the development of free schools through the Government’s free school scheme.

The continued attractiveness of the city centre as a place to live and work and ongoing residential growth was expected to result in additional demand for primary school places as more residents choose to remain in the area when starting a family.  In response to this forecast demand the Council was working with Renaker Build to establish a new primary school as part of the Crown Street phase 2 development. The school would provide 210 places for primary age children along with a 26-place nursery. It would be funded by S106 and basic need capital and is expected to open in 2024.

Historical growth of primary cohorts was continuing to drive increased demand for places at secondary schools along with new arrivals to the city. In response to this demand the Council had commissioned a significant programme of expansions and new schools funded from Basic Need capital and worked with the DfE to secure the delivery of centrally funded free schools.  A further two pipeline secondary schools were planned to open and would be delivered by the DfE as part of the central free school programme. Dixons Newall Green Academy would open in 2023 and was set to provide a total of 700 places at the former site of Newall Green Academy in Baguley. The Dean Trust would open a new school in 2027 providing 1050 places at a site in Newton Heath.

It was also proposed that due to the ongoing high levels of demand for specialist provision across the City, a new secondary special school would be brought forward at a site located in Miles Platting. The school is expected to provide 150 places for pupils with an EHCP and would open in 2025. This new investment would be resourced from the High Needs Capital and Basic Need grants.

Decisions

The Executive:-

(1)       Support the principle that High Needs Capital and Basic Need funding is used to fund the new special high school;

(2)       Agree that the Council undertakes consultation to gather views on the plans to develop a new special high school as a first step towards identifying a provider for the new school;

(3)       Delegate responsibility to the Director of Education in consultation with      the Executive Member for Children’s Services to:

a)         progress the publication of a specification for the new school and invitations to sponsor based on the outcomes of the consultation.

b)         Identify a preferred sponsor for the new school to be recommended to the DfE.