analysis


Some schools are having to expand beyond the statutory 30 children per class


(Norfolk), Purfleet (Thurrock) and central Croydon there will be at least 75% more pupils by 2015 than the number of places currently available. Looking further ahead to 2016/17, Croydon, Waltham Forest, Newham and Hounslow councils are set to see the biggest demand for primary places across the local authority area with the need to increase school capacity by 25% or more by the start of the 2016 school term. Peterborough, Redbridge, Ealing,


Bristol, Lewisham, Slough, Manchester, Barking and Dagenham and Sutton councils will have to increase the number of school places by at least 20% to ensure every child gets a place. As part of its ongoing work into the


“rewiring of public services” the LGA is now calling for the introduction of a single capital pot locally to be accessed by maintained schools, academies and free schools. It also says the Government should reverse the current decision which prevents schools across an area from pooling budgets and making efficiencies by sharing services. The LGA wants the Department to work with local authorities to model different scenarios in order to better manage and plan for emerging demand


12 educationdab.co.uk


for primary and secondary school places. Further, it is calling on ministers to: • Ensure that capital funding is given to local authorities that have the greatest need for extra places • Put measures in place to make sure that no new free schools are built in areas with a surplus of school places • Demonstrate that where school places are being created in academies and free schools, that they are providing value for money. Ultimately, the Government needs to


Extreme measures include converting non-classroom space and reducing playground space


develop a more “realistic assumption”, says the LGA, about the level of financial contribution authorities can be expected to make to deliver school places, taking into account the wider financial challenges councils face. The National Audit Office recently warned that a quarter of a million extra school places will be needed in England by autumn 2014 to meet rising demand. The Department for Education recently announced £5 billion of funding for extra school places. But, figures from the Public Accounts Committee show that in 2012/13 nearly 65% of authorities had to dip into their maintenance funding to pay for extra places, storing up unknown maintenance costs for the future.


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