The Committee received and noted a report that followed up from the scrutiny challenge session on tackling the school places gap – pupil place planning and the impact of academies and free schools. The main points of the discussion may be summarised as follows:

The Committee heard that:

1.    Decisions were taken by Cabinet in May 2015 to create 5FE of new primary capacity by development of the Former Bromley Hall School site and the Former site of Bow Boys’ School.  The places are expected to be available from September 2018.   Further options for other sites will be brought forward to meet the programme needs.   The options will take account of other capacity being created as part of other development schemes, such as the Wood Wharf site;

2.    Where new schools are agreed LBTH have continued to build positive relationships with them at the Member and officer level and sell the benefits of the family of schools, including council services on offer. Accordingly, the Council facilitates network meetings for head teachers to ensure they are kept up-to-date with policy and other developments in Tower Hamlets. All head teachers, including those from academies and free schools, are invited to these meetings. In addition, the Council provides a weekly e-bulletin during term time to heads and academy and free school heads are invited to subscribe to this. This being part of the process to develop good schools rooted within the communities that they seek to serve;

3. The Council is working with the Canary Wharf Group on the details of the proposed primary capacity at Wood Wharf.   It is anticipated that this will be available in 2020.    Whilst the development of a scheme at 3 Millharbour has been approved for consent by Strategic Development Committee although there is no programme for implementation at this stage.

4.    The Council is currently undertaking a public consultation on its school admission arrangements for 2017/18. An analysis of the responses and recommendations will be presented to Cabinet in February 2016.

5. A breakdown of outcomes by Council ward and parental preference for both the 2015/16 secondary transfer and primary coordination exercises had been provided to Members via Council bulletins in March and April 2015, including an analysis of Tower Hamlets performance as compared with the other 32 London Boroughs;
6. Action on this is now being taken forward to develop the Tower Hamlets Schools Partnership.   This is a schools-led approach which aims to promote and extend existing joint working.   The value of the existing partnership and collaborative working arrangements it was noted are recognised and valued.   The Partnership proposal will seek to establish an organisational vehicle to embed a more formal organisation; and 

7.    LBTH has a duty to secure sufficient primary and secondary schools in their area.  Schools are regarded as sufficient if they are sufficient in number, character and equipment to provide for all pupils the opportunity of appropriate education.  However, the Committee commented that the development of schools in LBTH must continue to be mindful of the impact any such expansion has upon the existing infrastructure e.g. libraries and play space.

Accordingly, the Chair Moved and it was:-

RESOLVED

1. To note the contents of this report.