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

This report provides an overview of Manchester’s current school age population and the numbers forecast for future academic years. It also details work previously undertaken and that which is planned to achieve a sufficiency of school places.  The Committee is invited to comment on the report prior to its submission to the Executive on 19 October 2022.

The Committee received a report of the Director of Education and the Head of Access and Sufficiency 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 Committee was invited to comment on the report prior to its submission to the Executive on 19 October 2022.

The main points and themes within the report included:

• The school age population;
• Approach to securing sufficient school places; and
• Actions to secure sufficient school places, including work to progress the establishment of a new secondary special school at a site identified in north Manchester.

Some of the key points and themes that arose from the Committee’s discussions were:

• The impact of the growth of the city centre on inner city wards and the need to consider the sufficient provision of schools and medical facilities for the expanding population;
• Could the Department for Education (DfE) override the Council’s proposals in relation to the new secondary special school; and
• Timescales in relation to Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

The Director of Education advised that her service was being included more in the planning related to residential developments and she highlighted that a city centre school was being built.  She reported that the Council had involved the DfE when undertaking the Free School Presumption Process so that they were assured about the way the Council was carrying out the process.  Therefore, she advised, it was less likely that they would overrule it and they had never overruled the Council on this previously.

The Head of Access and Sufficiency informed Members about the statutory 20-week process for EHCPs, advising that currently the Council was delivering about 80% of EHCP requests within this timeframe.  She reported that the Council was working with schools to improve support to children before and during the time taken for the EHCP application process, with a focus on early intervention and support before the child had an EHCP in place.

In response to a question from the Chair, the Executive Member for Children’s Services highlighted the demand for more school places in Wythenshawe, due to the closure of Newall Green High School, and that this was being addressed through the opening of a new school next year.  Referring to the Newton Heath school, he reported that the need for an additional school in north Manchester had been identified some time ago and that the Council had worked very hard to identify a site for it.  The Head of Access and Sufficiency reported that the Co-op Academy Belle Vue was already open in temporary accommodation with a reduced number of places and would offer the full number of places from next year.  In response to a further question from the Chair, she advised that, once these new high schools were fully open, there should not be a need for any further new high schools, unless there were any long-term major residential developments in future, in which case her service would be involved in planning for this.  In response to a question from the Chair about whether the new high school in Belle Vue could open up to other year groups, she advised that this was an option which could be considered.  

In response to a question from the Chair about special schools, the Head of Access and Sufficiency drew Members’ attention to the information in the table at 5.9 in the report which outlined what had been done to increase specialist provision in the city, as well as the proposed new special school.  She reported that the vast majority of children attending the city’s specialist provision were Manchester children.

The Chair advised that Ward Councillors needed to ensure that they were aware of developments in their area and the impact on infrastructure, including the need for sufficient schools.

Decision

To note the report.