School place planning and organisation
As a council, we have a duty to ensure that sufficient places are available in their area in terms of number, diversity in provision and increasing opportunities for parental choice.
This applies to primary and secondary schools in Ealing but does not apply to early years and special schools. This duty applies irrespective of whether the local authority (LA) maintains any schools in a particular sector.
The most frequent question that schools and other interested parties ask about school places is “What is the local authority going to do about it – “it” meaning, a shortage of certain categories of schools or surplus of places.
School organisation principles document sets out the general principles and factors which will guide decisions on school organisation. The guide sets out:
- the local authority’s role and the principles that guide its decision-making in respect of maintained schools.
- the role of the local authority in making proposals to other bodies that have decision-making powers around school places including other councils, governing bodies, Trusts and government agencies. This is because the local authority is not the sole provider of places.
The school organisation statutory guidance (GOV.UK) sets out which organisations can propose changes and those that can make decisions.
School place planning and organisation working group (SPPOWG)
The purpose of the group is to inform the development and delivery of responses to changes in demand for mainstream, specialist, and / or alternative provision.
Meetings
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SPPOWG
November 2023 meeting
- SPPOWG minutes 1 November 2023 - to follow
- SPPOWG meeting agenda 1 November 2023
- SPPOWG slides 1 November 2023
- Pan reductions briefing note
- Introduction to federation, amalgamation and closure
- Principles for use of school space as pupil numbers reduce
May 2023 meeting
March 2023 meeting
- SPPOWG minutes 28 March 2023
- SPPOWG meeting agenda 28 March 2023
- Overview of current projections and actions to manage changes in demand March 2023
October 2023 meeting
- SEND SPPOWG minutes 19 October 2023
- SEND SPPOWG meeting agenda 19 October 2023
- SEND SPPOWG slides 19 October 2023
- Establishing / expanding SEND provision on mainstream school sites briefing note
- SEND SPPOWG terms of reference
June 2023 meeting
- Tamara Quinn, Schools planning and resource development: tquinn@ealing.gov.uk020 8825 8444
- Kim Price, Schools planning and resource development: kprice@ealing.gov.uk020 8825 8698