Minutes:
Question
Regarding agenda item 115, Secondary School Places, there were difficulties over the allocation of secondary school places for Year 7 for the current academic year, with insufficient places being available in the locations parents wanted them. The Council determined that additional places would be needed for Year 7 for the next academic year.
However, now that the places for next September have been allocated, it appears that the Council has under-estimated demand, and more additional places are going to have to be provided than the Council had been planning. What caused the number of Year 7s to be under-estimated?
Thank you Prue for that question and for giving me the opportunity to clarify the situation. Your question actually crossed over with a briefing paper that has been circulated to many Members including your colleagues and I shall ensure it is given to the remaining Members because it outlines the detail on which the following outline explanation is based.
In Rumsfeld speak, there are known knowns and unknown knowns. Whilst some would suggest that school places correlate directly to houses built that is one factor, but not the only factor. Wokingham Borough Council is blessed with having very good schools. It is part of the attraction for people to move into or border with the Wokingham area. We received 783 applications compared to 739 last year. We have no way of tracking those that move into the area to catch a year 7 place as they move into existing properties and not just new builds.
In 2020/2021 we received 36 school place applications from Hong Kong nationals. We put on an extra two year 6 classes and at that time there was an unforeseen demand that now impacts our year 7 numbers. Given that schools determine their own catchment areas, there are a number of cross border applications which are difficult to predict but fall within the catchment areas determined by schools’ admissions policies which is beyond the Borough’s control. Indeed, Maiden Erlegh’s popularity has meant that the last pupil to be allocated lives within 0.74 miles from the School. The same applies to the Holt.
There has been a steep rise in pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans. If a school is named in the pupil’s plan, then the Department for Education’s direction is that that pupil must go to that designated school. That reduces places for pupils without EHCPs. Some pupils use the admissions system as a ‘holding station’ until they are accepted into private school which was 115 pupils last year and is fairly consistent across previous years. Whilst arrangements have been agreed with Piggott, St Crispin’s and Emmbrook in collaboration with their Trusts, subject to approval on agenda item 115 being agreed. We are still working with other schools to make the accommodation where we can.
We still have a situation where 53 girls are being offered places at Reading schools. Last year there were 947 places for girls and 859 in 2020. The requirement for girls this year is 1,001. Children’s Services is working closely with those families to work on the best outcomes for those girls.
If Members have specific problems, please copy me on the correspondence, as then, if I know about it I can do something about it.
Supplementary Question
Thank you for that explanation. So, the Council allocates school places every year and most of the factors that you mention recur every year, the exception being the influx of Hong Kong pupils. This particular shortage in school places has hit the Council whilst the Council is working on the new secondary school strategy.
So, my question is are you confident that there will be no more surprises that might knock that strategy off course?
Supplementary Answer
Well I hope that what I have been able to explain there is that we have got the known knowns and the we have got some variables that we have to work with and they are the parameters that we have to cope with. It is partly systemic, and it is beyond our control. The schools make their own admissions policies and I must emphasise that it is our job to administer those as best we can.
Gathering information is not always easy and often ends up incomplete because people are unwilling to give it. But we have to administer it and deal with what we have in our hands and that is the way that it is.