Report of the Strategic Director (Children and Education Services) attached

The Executive considered a report of the Strategic Director (Children and Education Services), which outlined the projected increase in demand for post 16 provision over the next seven years and the resulting gaps in post 16 provision.

The Executive Member for Skills, Culture and Leisure advised that the rise in the city’s population had resulted in a significant increase in demand for primary and secondary education places in the city since 2008 and these larger cohorts of children were now reaching the end of their education in school.  Over the last two years, this growth had impacted upon post-16 providers of education and training and had resulted in almost all post-16 providers within Manchester operating at, or very near to, full capacity.

Projections based on Manchester’s pupil population show ed that post 16 numbers would not peak until 2028. Furthermore, this year for the first time in two years the Council was  starting to see an impact on the number of young people post 16 who were not in education, employment or training (NEET).  The Local Authority had a statutory duty to ensure there were sufficient places post 16 for young people and going forward as demand continued to increase, without assertive action, Manchester was at risk of not having sufficient places to meet the reasonable needs of its young people.

Furthermore, there was currently no strategy, mechanism or funding allocated from the DFE to Local Authorities to address this issue, as there was for responding to demand for school places. This issue had been anticipated for a number of years and had been raised formally with the DFE since summer 2022.  As a result of this, there had been some response to enable Manchester to address this demand in the short term, with capital funding to expand provision at Loreto and Xaverian colleges following successful bids to the DFE and a successful application from Dixons Academy Trust to open a 6th form provision in Wythenshawe.  However, the Council had now used all existing mechanisms available to increase growth in the post 16 sector and had now been left with no option other than formally declaring a gap in post 16 provision.

This process involved making a case to the DFE to evidence that there was a projected gap in provision in the City and outlining the providers the Council was working with to address this gap and how they could respond to meet demand with additional resources.  A task and finish group, led by the Chief Executive, working with a range of post 16 providers, had developed a costed plan including required capital investment and revenue funding which would meet the identified gaps and future demand for post 16 places across the City. Overall, the plan would deliver an additional 1,974 offers by 2028 including the additional places created when Dixon’s 6th form opens in Wythenshawe. The offers would address the gaps specifically identified. The plan to be submitted to the DFE included a request for £28m capital based on submissions from post 16 providers and a request for £1m revenue so that places could be funded in advance of lagged funding.

In addition, Eden Leadership Academies in the North of the City had been approved by the DFE to open 6^th forms linked to the boys’ and the girls’ schools.  In discussion with Starr Academy Trust, it had been agreed that the 6^th form spaces in each school would be used to create additional secondary school places from September 2024 and that the Council would re-provide the 6^th forms on an alternative site so that these could be opened.  There was also the opportunity to create additional places through supporting the expansion of the city’s two larger independent skills providers which would broaden the offer available, but these were also dependent on more flexible revenue arrangements with the DFE.  In addition to this work, officers would continue to work with GMCA to ensure this issue was prioritised as part of the devolution deal and spending review and to support coordination of data across the 10 Local Authorities to enable more accurate projections of demand and supply of places across Greater Manchester.

Councillor Leech sought clarification as to how many places post 16 places would the additional funding secure and whether this included the additional places already identified as being required.  He also sought clarification as to whether the £4m funding that the LTE Group had not utilised could be repurposed elsewhere.  The Director of Education clarified that the additional funding being sought would account for 1,074 offers, however some of these would be for two year placements so it was not possible to give precise number of how many young people would be accommodated.  She also confirmed that alternative uses for the £4m funding had been explored but none had been successful.

Decisions

The Executive:-

(1)       Agrees to declare a gap in post 16 provision in the City and make the relevant submission to the DFE

(2)       Supports the proposed submission of a costed plan outlining how existing providers could meet the identified gaps in provision.

(3)       Delegates authority to Director of Education and Director of Inclusive Growth working with the  Executive Members for Children and Education and Work and Skills to progress the outcomes with the DFE and take any necessary action to secure additional post 16 paces in line with costed plan.

(Councillor Bridges declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item as he is a governor for the LTE Group and left the meeting during consideration of his item).