Providing school places
There are 2 consistent methods for providing additional school places, through either expansions of existing schools or the delivery of new schools.
3.1 School expansions
Where a predicted shortfall of places has been identified the most common solution is to expand an existing school. Education Capital Strategy will consult with all schools and decide upon the most cost-effective way forward (after considering expansion opportunities available within various school sites and costs).
3.2 New schools
The need for new schools often arises when there are no opportunities to expand existing local schools, or where new housing developments are expected to bring large numbers of new families to an area, or where no existing provision can accommodate additional pupils within the city.
Education will determine suitable sites based on location of need, i.e. where pupil numbers are growing rapidly, and the size of the land to ensure it is of sufficient size to accommodate the proposed number of new pupils. The size of the land is to be compliant with the Building Bulletin 103 (BB103) and Building Bulletin 104 (BB104) guidelines4 for new schools.
There is a presumption in law that when the need to establish a new school arises these schools will be Free Schools. The role of the local authority is to identify a site for the school and to seek applications to run the new school from potential sponsors. CCC intends to work collaboratively with the DfE, and office of the Regional Schools Commissioner, and other external providers as new school(s) are required.
The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill is proposing to change this, removing the presumption that new schools will be opened as academies and instead allowing proposals for all types of new schools, including allowing local authorities to propose their own new school.
4. BB103 provides area guidelines for mainstream schools in the UK, covering buildings and sites for all age ranges from 3 to 19. BB104 provides area guidelines for school buildings and sites, particularly for special schools and alternative provision.
