04/11

DECISION UNDER DELEGATED POWERS

DECISION CANNOT BE TAKEN BEFORE FRIDAY, 11

FEBRUARY 2011

Title SCHOOL REORGANISATION – AREA REVIEW OF THE

SUFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF MAINSTREAM PRIMARY
SCHOOL PROVISION

Report Author REPORT TO THE LEADER OF THE IW COUNCIL & CABINET

MEMBER FOR FINANCE, GOVERNANCE & SCHOOL
IMPROVEMENT AND THE CABINET MEMBER FOR CHILDREN’S
SERVICES

PURPOSE

1. To authorise officers to develop options, formally consult upon those options and,
subject to the outcome of consultation, to publish statutory proposals to alter
mainstream Island primary school provision where there is either under or over
provision for current or anticipated demand or where existing provision is not
sustainable. Consultation will begin in Spring 2011, with any statutory proposals
scheduled to be published by Autumn 2011.

OUTCOMES

2. To ensure an appropriate level of provision in the areas of the Isle of Wight where
mainstream primary school provision is not in line with current or projected pupil
numbers or where existing provision is not sustainable.

BACKGROUND

3. Following the Islandwide reorganisation, there are a number of areas that would
benefit from an immediate revisit to ensure either sufficient or sustainable provision in
light of current or projected pupil numbers. The earliest that any change to school
provision could be made is September 2013. The length of time required by legislation
to carry out the process and a shift in funding distribution and availability for schools
and the local authority are the reasons that consultation needs to begin this year.

4. The highest combined reception intake for the West Wight in the past decade was 115,
the lowest was 91. From September 2010 the number of current reception pupils is

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 105. A total of four forms of entry would provide 120 places, this would be sufficient to
meet the demand for places in West Wight. The post reorganisation combined
provision for the West Wight area is 5.5 forms of entry (164 places). Two of the area
schools receive over 25% above the average Island primary per pupil funding.

5. The highest combined reception intake for the Newport area in the past decade was
299, the lowest was 233. From September 2010 the number of current reception
pupils is 293. A total of eleven forms of entry would provide 330 places. This would be
sufficient to meet the demand for places in the Newport area but would not allow for
increased demand from new housing developments. The post reorganisation
combined provision for the Newport area is 11 forms of entry (330 places). None of the
area schools receive over 25% above the average Island primary per pupil funding.

6. Details of proposed Newport area developments and associated pupil number

increases are given below: The total pupil yield used per dwelling is 0.22; this is
equivalent to approximately 22 primary age children for every 100 houses or 3
pupils/primary year group/100 houses.

Year By 2012 By 2013 By 2014 By 2015 By 2016

Add’l Dwellings 182 453 662 817 970
Add’l Reception
5 14 20 25 29
Pupils

7. The highest combined reception intake for the East Cowes area in the past decade
was 139, the lowest was 94. From September 2010 the number of current reception
pupils is 122. A total of five forms of entry would provide 150 places, this would be
sufficient to meet the demand for places in the East Cowes area. The post
reorganisation combined provision for the East Cowes area is 4.0 forms of entry (120
places). The council has had to take qualifying measures to accommodate, without
breaching Key Stage 1 class size legislation, 2 pupils admitted to an area primary
school on appeal. None of the area schools receive over 25% above the average
Island primary per pupil funding.

8. Details of proposed East Cowes developments and associated pupil number increases
are given below: The total pupil yield used per dwelling is 0.22; this is equivalent to
approximately 22 primary age children for every 100 houses or 3 pupils/primary year
group/100 houses.

By By By By By By
Year By 2018
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Add’l
52 102 162 237 399 702 942
Dwellings
Add’l
Reception 2 4 6 8 13 22 29
Pupils

9. The highest combined reception intake for the East Wight in the past decade was 84,
the lowest was 63. From September 2010 the number of current reception pupils is 79.

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 A total of three forms of entry would provide 90 places, this would be sufficient to meet
the demand for places in East Wight. The post reorganisation combined provision for
the East Wight area is 3.6 forms of entry (107 places). One area school receives over
25% above the average Island primary per pupil funding.

STRATEGIC CONTEXT

10. School reorganisation is a priority of the council as set out in the council’s corporate
plan. The aims of school reorganisation are to raise educational standards and to
provide greater opportunities for all young people on the Island.

11. The local authority will continue to have overall responsibility for ensuring that there
are sufficient school places to meet demand locally, though increasingly as
commissioner rather than as a provider. Where academies make a request to the
Secretary of State to alter their pupil numbers, any decision will be informed by the
views of the LA, as the commissioner of pupil places.

12. In the context of the economic climate, the Comprehensive Spending Review, the
Coalition Government’s policy direction and the changes in the public sector at
regional and local level, the environment in which the Council will operate is radically
changing. It is very apparent that the range and level of central services provided to
schools is not sustainable. Therefore, there is a need to develop a relationship with
schools that recoups the full cost of centrally provided support services, builds
capacity within schools to undertake support functions themselves or enables schools
to commission these services from other marketplace providers.

13. National policy wishes to see more resources being spent on the education of
deprived children. The Department for Education has introduced a new Pupil
Premium, which will provide additional money for each deprived pupil in the country,
which will go with eligible pupils to the school they attend. Inevitably this will have an
adverse impact on the funding available to schools with lower levels of pupil
deprivation.

CONSULTATION

14. The Education & Inspection Act 2006 (EIA 2006) will require the authority to consult
further before any prescribed changes to school provision are made. At the minimum
this will entail 6 weeks, term time consultation (to include a public meeting) for each
prescribed change.

FINANCIAL / BUDGET IMPLICATIONS

15. The statutory consultation and publication activity will utilise existing resources from
within school reorganisation team and will be contained within the existing school
reorganisation budget.

16. The Local Authority will develop a new formula for the distribution of the Dedicated
Schools Grant (DSG) to operate from April 2012. It is the responsibility of the local
authority, in consultation with the Schools Forum, to decide upon the format of the new
formula, within the constraints laid down in the Education Funding regulations. It is

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 intended that the new formula will deliver a considerably flatter per pupil funding
distribution than operates at present. Schools that currently receive funding that is
significantly higher than the per pupil Island average are likely to face a reduction in
total income unless their pupil numbers rise to compensate for this. It is possible, and
in some cases probable, that this will prejudice the financial viability of the school.

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

17. The Education and Inspections Act 2006 (EIA 2006), The School Organisation
(Establishment and Discontinuance of Schools) (England) Regulations 2007 and The
School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England)
Regulations 2007, together with guidance issued by the Secretary of State on the
process for making changes to school provision give the legal basis for altering school
provision.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

18. An impact assessment will be carried out for all individual statutory proposals that may
arise from consultation. The consultation process itself will help inform the impact
assessments.

OPTIONS

19. Option A – to develop options, consult on those options and, subject to the outcome of
consultation, to publish proposals to reduce provision for the West Wight area.

20. Option B – to maintain the current provision for the West Wight area.

21. Option C – to develop options, consult on those options and, subject to the outcome of
consultation, to publish proposals to increase provision for the Newport area.

22. Option D – to maintain the current provision for the Newport area.

23. Option E – to develop options, consult on those options and, subject to the outcome of
consultation, to publish proposals to increase provision for the East Cowes area.

24. Option F – to maintain the current provision for the East Cowes area.

25. Option G – to develop options, consult on those options and, subject to the outcome of
consultation, to publish proposals to replace the current provision in the East Wight
area with a sustainable model of provision.

26. Option H – to maintain the current provision in the East Wight area.

RISK MANAGEMENT AND EVALUATION

27. Option A – Reducing provision to meet the demand for places in the West Wight area
would present a more sustainable use of resources and provide better value for
money. There is a risk that the reduction of provision in the area could mean an
absence of non-church provision west of Newport, causing a potential increase in

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 demand for home to school transport due to parental preference on religious grounds.
The closure of individual school(s) and site(s) cannot be ruled out.

28. Option B – Maintaining the current provision for the West Wight area leaves a high
level of surplus places that forecasts show will remain unfilled. Available DSG
resources would be spread too thinly to ensure an effective delivery of autonomous
school function, potentially impacting on achievement, attainment and wider school
experience for West Wight children. A flatter funding formula, local or otherwise, would
have an adverse impact on four of the six area schools, ultimately causing
fundamental budget difficulties at two of the schools.

29. Option C – Increasing provision in the Newport area will accommodate the forecasted
rise in pupil numbers and address projected demand from the new housing
development at Pan Meadows. The increase in available area places also eases
potential capacity issues at three area schools. Potential demand for home to school
transport will be minimised under this option.

30. Option D – Maintaining the current provision leaves the Newport area exposed to a
potential shortfall of reception places. The area reception cohort has risen from 276 in
September 2009 to 293 in September 2010. With the forecasted rise in pupil numbers
and known housing developments, this option will require the admission of pupils into
capacity constrained accommodation and within 3 or 4 years the refusal of preference
applications for area reception places; this is likely to lead to increased demand for
home to school transport.

31. Option E – Increasing provision in the East Cowes area will accommodate the existing
and forecasted rise in pupil numbers including projected demand from new housing
developments. Potential demand for home to school transport will be minimised under
this option.

32. Option F – Maintaining the current provision in the East Cowes area will not meet
existing or future demand. This option will require the continued refusal of preference
applications for area reception places; this is likely to lead to increased demand for
home to school transport.

33. Option G – Creating a sustainable model of provision that meets the demand for
places in the East Wight area would present a more effective use of resources and
provide better value for money. There is a risk of a potential increase in demand for
home to school transport, depending on the model of provision chosen; the closure of
individual school(s) and site(s) cannot be ruled out.

34. Option H – maintaining the current provision in the East Wight area leaves available
DSG resources spread too thinly to ensure an effective delivery of autonomous school
function, potentially impacting on achievement, attainment and wider school
experience for East Wight children. A flatter funding formula, local or otherwise, would
have an adverse impact on two of the four area schools, ultimately causing them
fundamental budget difficulties; three of the four schools have a low percentage of
pupils eligible for free school meals and are unlikely to benefit financially from future
pupil premium distribution.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

35. Option A – to develop options, consult on those options and, subject to the outcome of
consultation, to publish proposals to reduce provision for the West Wight area.

36. Option C – to develop options, consult on those options and, subject to the outcome of
consultation, to publish proposals to increase provision for the Newport area.

37. Option E – to develop options, consult on those options and, subject to the outcome of
consultation, to publish proposals to increase provision for the East Cowes area.

38. Option G – to develop options, consult on those options and, subject to the outcome of
consultation, to publish proposals to replace the current provision in the East Wight
area with a sustainable model of provision.

APPENDICES ATTACHED

39. None

BACKGROUND PAPERS

40. None

Contact Point: Alex Moffat, Project Manager School Reorganisation,

 01983 823458 e-mail alex.moffat@iow.gov.uk

STEVE BEYNON COUNCILLOR DAVID PUGH COUNCILLOR DAWN

Chief Executive Leader of the IOW Council and COUSINS
Cabinet Member for Finance, Cabinet Member
Governance & School for Children’s Services
Improvement

Decision

Signed

Date