DECISION

That the Cabinet notes:

1.    factors influencing pupil population change in Tower Hamlets;

2.    latest pupil roll projections for Tower Hamlets and options for future school development sites to provide additional places, should they be required;

3.    progress on the development of new and existing secondary school sites;

4.    latest figures on SEN, current provision and sufficiency plan;

5.    plans for the implementation of the council’s School Organisation and Capital Investment Strategy;

6.    the specific equalities considerations as set out in Paragraph 5 of the report.

Action by:

CORPORATE DIRECTOR, CHILDREN AND CULTURE (J. THOMAS)

Service Head Pupil Access and School Sufficiency (T. Bryan)

Councillor Maium Talukdar, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning (Statutory Deputy Mayor) introduced the report which presented the annual review of the council’s planning for school places. He highlighted that significant growth in some sectors required robust plans to increase provision, which the report would secure.

James Thomas, Corporate Director, Children and Culture highlighted the excellence of Tower Hamlets schools as demonstrated by Ofsted findings. He noted that Mayflower primary school in Poplar had topped the Sunday Times league table of ‘parent power’.

Cabinet members noted that a report on the Council’s school admissions policy would be coming to a future meeting.

The Mayor welcomed the report and highlighted the extremely complex and challenging nature of pupil projections and thanked the Lead Member and officers for their work. He stressed that education provided a vital opportunity to improve residents’ life chances. Following discussion, he agreed the recommendations as set out in the report.

RESOLVED

That the Cabinet notes:

1.    factors influencing pupil population change in Tower Hamlets;

2.    latest pupil roll projections for Tower Hamlets and options for future school development sites to provide additional places, should they be required;

3.    progress on the development of new and existing secondary school sites;

4.    latest figures on SEN, current provision and sufficiency plan;

5.    plans for the implementation of the council’s School Organisation and Capital Investment Strategy;

6.    the specific equalities considerations as set out in Paragraph 5 of the report.