schools-local-growth-and-investment-plan-april-2020

Schools’ Local Growth and Investment Plan The Schools’ Local Growth and Investment Plan (SLGIP) provides a snapshot of NCC plans to secure sufficient school places Fundamentally, it addresses two issues; 1) demographic change, prompted by changes such as birth rates and life expectancy and 2) population movement, resulting from new housing development or migration to and from particular geographic areas Our aim is always to provide school places locally, whilst ensuring schools are of sufficient size (ideally 420 pupils for primary and 900 students for secondary) Norfolk’s education landscape has developed over time and is characterised by large numbers of small schools in rural areas Our plan also seeks to address our core duty of promoting high standards of education To achieve this, we will use a combination of approaches to either grow or decrease the number of school places for any given local area These will include: Commissioning new schools Promoting DfE Free School proposals Expand the age range and size of existing schools either on their current or a new school site Agree changes to the planned admission number (PAN) with associated change to accommodation As a last resort close schools The 2019 SLGIP is structured in parts: Part - Major growth areas which will require multi-school solutions (page 2) Part - Development locations where one new school is planned (page 11) Part - Growth areas with implications for existing schools (page 21) Part - Areas of the County indicating a decline in pupil numbers and where there are several small schools (page 23) Part - Major growth areas which will require multi-school solutions THETFORD (Breckland District) Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE) of 5000 new dwellings Plan of the urban extension showing the location of the first new primary school site CURRENT LOCAL PROVISION – capacity and organisation Primary School places within Thetford are provided by schools, a mix of infant, junior and all-through primary; of these are academies; run by Eastern MAT and one by DNEAT plus two community schools A total of 360 places are available in each year group across the primary phase In September 2019 there were around 70 spare places in Reception year across the Town which is a drop since the previous year Pupil forecasts indicate that for 2020 admissions the catchment cohort in Thetford may rise by one form of entry which can be managed within existing schools LATEST ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH Children’s Services have been working in partnership for many years with the land promoters ‘Pigeon’ on this strategic urban extension to Thetford and we have secured sites free of charge for new primary phase schools each of 420 places The first phase of this large-scale development obtained planning permission early in 2018 and commenced on site in 2019 This phase of development is for 344 homes of which 92 have commenced and completed This phase includes the site for the first new primary school The design of the new school has begun along with discussions with Pigeon on access and road infrastructure CURRENT PRESSURES ON PUPIL NUMBERS Pupil forecasts indicate that the current provision of places is sufficient until the new housing commences There is some spare capacity, which will be useful once the housing commences and until the first new school is built IMPACT OF HOUSING GROWTH The challenge for Children’s Services when planning to open a new school is timing Although it is good to see a new school available within the heart of a new community which grows with the development, there does need to be sufficient numbers of children that will need a school place to ensure the school is viable and also to ensure it does not impact negatively on surrounding schools SHORT TERM RESPONSE Pigeon is keen for the first school site to be transferred to NCC shortly NCC will consider a date for transfer that will not incur costs for maintenance and security MEDIUM/LONGER TERM RESPONSE Longer term, the three new 420 place primary schools for Thetford will meet the need in the current Local Plan to 2026 and beyond Timescales for these schools depend entirely on the progress rate of the new housing in Thetford Secondary school places will be monitored at Thetford Academy as additional land has already been provided at the school to allow for future expansion S106 contributions have been secured although not yet collected as a result of the future housing allocation Capital response THETFORD School Scheme Stage Cost/estimate Future programmes New Primary School 2FE IRO £8m New Primary School New Primary School Secondary extension 2FE Design stage which could be progressed quickly if places required - 2FE - £8m tbc - tbc £8m Date if known 2022 or 2023 NORTH NORWICH GROWTH TRIANGLE (Broadland District) Sprowston/Old Catton/Rackheath 12,000+ new dwellings The new White House Farm Primary School in Sprowston CURRENT LOCAL PROVISION – capacity and organisation This proposed housing growth area extends from Old Catton in the west to Rackheath in the east and extends both sides of the Broadland Northway Existing school provision is extensive and comprises of three secondary schools: Sprowston Community Academy, Thorpe St Andrew School, Broadland High Ormiston Academy and their feeder primary phase schools Existing primary phase provision remains a mix of infant/junior in Old Catton and Sprowston and all through primary in Rackheath and Thorpe There is a mix of Trusts, Federations and Community Schools A new Primary School opened at White House Farm in September 2019 and will grow year by year up to 420 places to accommodate children from the housing within the area it is situated The surrounding area of Sprowston has had pressure for reception places for a few years now but for 2019 there has been a slight decline in pupil numbers although it is expected that numbers will rise again This has been a challenge for some schools with a new school opening at the same time LATEST ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH The Beeston Park outline planning for 3,500 homes is being promoted by TOWN on behalf of U+I plc The site continues to progress and NCC have been regularly updated As with most large scale, complicated developments progress has been slow Phase of the scheme (733 homes) is however progressing relatively well: a detailed scheme for the 1st phase link road is under consideration and negotiations with house builders are understood to be ongoing Subject to the grant of consent for the link road, and negotiations with house builders being successfully concluded, development could start on site in the next 1-3 years Timely progress of phases and of the scheme are linked to the outcome of Norfolk’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) bid At the time of writing the HIF bid has not been determined To the west of the growth triangle, housing schemes are beginning to take shape Orbit homes (225 dwellings) are planning to commence shortly with first completions in 2020 and land at the Norwich Rugby Club has a developer interested A development of 340 homes in Old Catton by Taylor Wimpey has commenced and expect first occupations in 2020 The large allocation in Rackheath for 3,000 dwellings, although the final scheme may be closer to 4,000, is moving slowly and may not commence for a few years yet Again, timely progress is likely to be linked to the outcome of Norfolk’s Housing Infrastructure Fund bid However, several smaller developments to the south west of Rackheath potentially totalling around 800 dwellings are taking shape and will impact on local school provision The large development planned south of Salhouse Road for circa 1,200 dwellings continue to progress well Two developers have now secured detailed planning permission for 600+ homes and these have either commenced or will soon so Negotiations are ongoing with a further development partner in respect of the remainder of the scheme Development continues to progress well at the White House Farm and Home Farm sites in Sprowston The White House Farm development consortium (Persimmon Homes, Taylor Wimpey and Hopkin Homes) have recently submitted an outline application for a further 516 homes for the next phase of this development CURRENT PRESSURES ON PUPIL NUMBERS Pressure for places at reception in the Old Catton/Sprowston area peaked in 2016 and we have seen a slight decline in numbers for the 2019 admission round This has been a challenge for some schools along with the opening of White House Farm Primary as there are now several spare places across the area The decision to open White House Farm Primary at this time was carefully considered so the new school can grow with the community it sits in Housing in a large scale continues across this area as mentioned above so spare places in local schools are needed and will be taken up over the next few years The large allocation in Rackheath is planned to deliver new primary phase schools but smaller growth coming forward first over several schemes will put pressure on Rackheath Primary which is already full, with no capacity for expansion It is anticipated children generated from the Rackheath early housing will secure a school place in the Sprowston area IMPACT OF HOUSING GROWTH Housing in a large scale continues across this area as mentioned above so spare places in local schools are needed and will be taken up over the next few years The large allocation in Rackheath is planned to deliver new primary phase schools but smaller growth coming forward first over several schemes will put pressure on Rackheath Primary which is already full, with no capacity for expansion It is anticipated children generated from the Rackheath early housing will secure a school place in the Sprowston area SHORT TERM RESPONSE Continue to receive updates from Broadland District Council on housing progress Continue discussions with local schools so they understand the progress of growth and how this is likely to affect their annual intake of children MEDIUM/LONGER TERM RESPONSE The outline planning permission for Beeston Park includes two x 2ha sites for new primary phase provision Further land has been secured for new schools on Salhouse Road, North of Smee Lane in Thorpe (East of Broadland Business Park) and a planned expansion to double the size of Little Plumstead Primary School The major growth in Rackheath also safeguards new primary school sites Children’s Services will monitor closely the need for these new schools to ensure they are provided at the right time and taking account of the impact on other schools in the area NCC has made a commitment for a new Secondary phase school in the Sprowston area Although a preferred site had been identified on the current Sprowston Park and Ride, as some time has passed it is important to review all our options both new and existing and this is being undertaken by Children’s Services This review is ongoing now as a decision on the contingency site for a secondary school in Rackheath must be made by end March 2020 How all these new schools will be funded remains a challenge and will be addressed through a future report to Norfolk County Council Cabinet Capital response NORTH NORWICH GROWTH Future programmes School Scheme Stage Cost/estimate Lt Plumstead VAP Beeston Park primary Beeston Park primary Rackheath To 2FE Design £3.5-£4m 2021 2FE Site identified 2022+ 2FE Site identified 2FE Site identified Rackheath 2FE Site identified South of Salhouse Rd new primary 2FE East of Broadland Business Park New high school/all through 2FE Site identified, discussions on infrastructure and layout ongoing with developer Initial site layout options £8m (unfunded) £8m (unfunded) £8m (unfunded) £8m (unfunded) £8m (unfunded) £8m (unfunded) 2023+ £26m (unfunded) 2024+ tbc New site search options 2024+ 2025+ 2027+ 2022+ ATTLEBOROUGH (Breckland District) Sustainable Urban Extension of 4000 new homes Red line boundary of Attleborough urban extension CURRENT LOCAL PROVISION – capacity and organisation The town of Attleborough is served by two primary phase schools, Attleborough Primary School and the new Rosecroft Primary School providing 150 places across each year group for the Town The town is surrounded by villages with local schools Historically, some children who live in Attleborough catchment choose a nearby village school as opposed to their local primary school in the town - e.g in September 2018, around 22% of Attleborough catchment children expressed a preference for a reception class outside catchment and this pattern continued for the 2019 admissions This preference pattern can take a while to change and may never change particularly with siblings attending the village alternative and sometimes families live nearer the village schools than the central schools in the Town The largest preference is to Great Ellingham, Old Buckenham and Morley with some to Great Hockham, Spooner Row and Wicklewood This pattern of preference does leave some spare capacity in the central Attleborough schools but with housing still ongoing in the town this can prove helpful for place planning LATEST ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH Breckland District Council resolved to grant planning permission to this application (subject to prior signing of a Section 106 agreement) to provide up to 4,000 residential dwellings on land to the south of Attleborough; construction of new link road between Buckenham Road and London Road, pedestrian footbridge across the railway line to connect with Leys Lane, provision of two, Form Entry primary schools; Local centre including shops and other uses including a petrol filling station, Community Uses, two further neighbourhood centres, sports pitches, public open space and amenity greenspace with sustainable drainage systems and associated infrastructure The section 106 is in latter stages of completion and it is hoped that it will be finalised, and a decision notice issued in February 2020 The County Council, Breckland and the applicant are working together to bring forward early the key element of infrastructure of the link road It is anticipated that housing will commence no later than 2023/24 During the summer of 2019, Children’s Services agreed with Breckland and the land promoters the amount of £25M towards additional primary and secondary school provision as an impact of the urban extension A Section 106 to formally secure this finding will be signed shortly Breckland District Council is working with the Academy to provide new school and community sports facilities at the school which will also be funded by the developers KEY PRESSURES ON PUPIL NUMBERS With Forms of Entry across the two primary schools in the Town, there are some spare places as the drift to village schools is still evident It is anticipated with the new Rosecroft Primary School offering 630 places there will be spare places for children from the first phase of the new housing, when it commences IMPACT OF HOUSING GROWTH With the uncertainty of commencement of such a large strategic housing development, numbers will be monitored as part of the annual admissions round to ensure a sufficient supply of places for reception each year Once housing commences and we have more of an idea of phasing and timescales we can plan more effectively for existing school provision as well as when the new schools will open SHORT TERM RESPONSE Monitor school places through the annual admissions round MEDIUM/LONGER TERM RESPONSE Plan for provision of two new primary schools for Attleborough understanding the parental preference to surrounding villages and whether that will continue and how that will impact on the new schools Decide whether 2FE or 3FE schools are required by analysis of the number of children generated from the new development Ensure sufficient secondary school places within the existing Attleborough Academy ATTLEBOROUGH Future programmes School Scheme Stage Cost/estimate Attleborough Academy (High) Removal of most of existing mobiles Reuse of infant school site 2-3FE 2-3FE On site – completion May 2020 £1.4m (partially S106) Design talks Unknown at present - IRO £8m IRO £8m Attleborough Academy (High) New primary New primary Date if known 2023+ 2025+ WEST WINCH/NORTH RUNCTON (King’s Lynn and West Norfolk) Up to 4000 new homes in two phases: 1600 up to 2026 2400 post 2026 CURRENT LOCAL PROVISION – capacity and organisation West Winch village is served by one primary school of 210 places The size of this school is adequate for the current numbers of primary age children living in the area A desktop exercise indicates that the school site could allow expansion of this school to forms of entry The school HT and Governors are aware of NCC plans and understand the process North Runcton does not have its own school but the nearest school for children to attend is in Middleton Middleton Primary (academy) is on a small site and there is limited scope for expansion The school is currently a good size for its catchment children although historically not all catchment children choose Middleton as their first-choice school which results in lower numbers at the school LATEST ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH This allocation has been slow to progress but NCC have been consulted again in October 2019 as the Borough Council wish to masterplan the whole site Our response is the same, expansion of West Winch Primary school in the first instance then sites secured for up to new primary phase schools Secondary provision will be provided in King’s Lynn, but it is anticipated that and expansion of one or more of the Kings Lynn secondary schools will be required longer term KEY PRESSURES ON PUPIL NUMBERS West Winch is a popular school and does regularly fill its capacity of 30 places per year group Most children who live in West Winch attend their local school but there are many smaller surrounding schools which allows for parental preference IMPACT OF HOUSING GROWTH Housing is likely to impact on West Winch Primary at outset as they are already at capacity Children’s Services will work closely with the school to ensure sufficient places at the right time Middleton does have capacity as catchment children tend to choose other schools in surrounding villages An analysis of parental preference and places in the wider area nearer the time of housing commencement will be required SHORT TERM RESPONSE Monitor the progress of housing commencement with the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Monitor the annual admissions round to ensure sufficient places for the area MEDIUM/LONGER TERM RESPONSE Expansion of West Winch Primary School One new Primary phase school in the northern phase of development and one new primary post 2026 in the southern part of the housing development Secondary schooling for the development area is in King’s Lynn Pressure for places is now being seen within the secondary system in this area so discussions with the three secondary schools will continue Capital response WEST WINCH/NORTH RUNCTON Future programmes School Scheme Stage Cost/estimate Date if known West Winch Primary New primary #1 New primary #2 King’s Lynn secondary phase to FE - IRO £4m unknown FE - IRO £8m unknown IRO £8m unknown - unknown 2FE Expansion Discussions with schools 10 Part - Development locations where one new school is planned WYMONDHAM (South Norfolk District) Up to 2000 new homes in various locations across the Town still to be built CURRENT LOCAL PROVISION – capacity and organisation Wymondham has three primary phase schools, Browick Road, Ashleigh and Robert Kett providing forms of entry between them Pressure for reception admission round places have been evident but manageable over the past few years The proposed new Wymondham College prep school funded by the DfE Free School programme is planning to open for September 2020 accommodating up to 60 reception age children in their first year The Trust is still awaiting the outcome of the planning application, but the LA is in support of this new school to provide much needed places for Wymondham children Wymondham High Academy continues to admit up to its admission number and for September 2019 admitted 20 over its PAN The next phase of the growth masterplan is the infrastructure to improve entrance, dining/studio spaces and library areas This phase is now on-site with completion scheduled for June 2020 A sustainable percentage of Wymondham children choose to travel to Wymondham College and this pattern of preference is expected to continue for the foreseeable future Wymondham College influence must always be considered when planning for future growth in the Town LATEST ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH The consented housing in the Town continues to be built out and some developments are yet to commence One phase (circa 700 homes) on the Silfield development is still delayed due to cost uncertainties relating to the S106 agreement NCC have secured land for a new primary school on this phase of development which cannot be unlocked without considerable costs until the phase is sold to a developer KEY PRESSURES ON PUPIL NUMBERS Pressure for primary places in Wymondham continues September 2019 was a particularly high intake with all three schools admitted up to their admission number This of course leaves no spare places in reception for in-year admissions with most other year groups in a similar position The admissions team although under pressure to provide school places within Wymondham schools have so far managed in-year admission by using spare capacity in surrounding villages Pupil forecasts indicate that numbers for reception places for September 2020 will drop slightly and the impact of the new prep school is yet to be seen There is a joint plan between NCC and Wymondham High Academy for further expansion of the buildings to accommodate additional children from new housing With the housing numbers above what was expected, we will continue to monitor the situation Wymondham College must be considered when planning secondary places in Wymondham IMPACT OF HOUSING GROWTH The opening of the prep school should take off the pressure for reception places in the town, but pressure will continue for in-year admissions in other year groups from new 11 families moving into the area Children’s Services admissions and place planning team will monitor this situation closely and take action if we feel providing suitable places is not manageable SHORT TERM RESPONSE Plan and monitor the 2020 admissions round with an eye to the impact of the prep school not only on Wymondham town school places but also the surrounding villages Continue to manage in-year admissions of new families in an area where schools are at capacity Identify the part smaller surrounding schools must play to support growth MEDIUM/LONGER TERM RESPONSE Opening of the new school in Silfield when available and required Understanding the impact of Greater Norwich Local Plan and any sites that are allocated to Wymondham Decide on options or creative solutions for increased capacity at secondary and th form in Wymondham if necessary Capital response WYMONDHAM Current programme Future programmes School Scheme Stage Cost/ estimate Wymondham High Academy Entrance, dining and studio space and library areas On site IRO £4.9m Silfield new primary school Wymondham High Academy Wymondham College 2FE Design stage but on hold Masterplan in preparation Discussions ongoing with Sapientia Trust IRO £8m Further phases Options for growth Date if known 2023 tbc - CRINGLEFORD (South Norfolk District) 1300 new homes on two adjacent sites CURRENT LOCAL PROVISION – capacity and organisation One 420 place Voluntary Aided primary school currently serves Cringleford village Ongoing housing in the area has generated far more primary age children than anticipated resulting in the school being oversubscribed in every recent admission round Pupil forecasts indicate that even without further housing, numbers will remain up to and above the admission limit For September 2019 the school agreed to admit an additional year group at reception and took 83 children The County Council provided a double mobile on site to achieve this Forecasts for 2020 admissions identifies a similar pattern and we anticipate the pressure for places will be the same as for 2019 The catchment secondary school for Cringleford children is Hethersett Academy which admitted over its admission number for September 2019 The LA are working with Inspiration Trust to review their admissions criteria so feeder school children are likely to get a place at this school 12 LATEST ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH Both housing developments now have full planning permission and infrastructure (roads, paths and a bus lane) has commenced The first phase of housing is expected shortly Land for a new 420 place primary school has been secured as part of this development through a S106 agreement and can be transferred over to the LA on occupation of 100 dwellings KEY PRESSURES ON PUPIL NUMBERS As mentioned above, pressure for places at reception is high and is managed as part of the annual admissions round The addition of a double mobile for 2019 allowed Cringleford Primary School to admit an additional form of entry for 2019 and this similar pattern will be considered for September 2020 admissions IMPACT OF HOUSING GROWTH When the first phase of housing commences there will be more pressure for primary school places in Cringleford Discussions with the school and the Diocese of Norwich will continue to identify how pupils can be accommodated until any new school is operational and other schools in the area may play a part in this Additional land has been secured for Hethersett Academy under the planning application for the strategic growth in Hethersett Expansion of the Academy is on-site and will expand gradually with the demand for more places SHORT TERM RESPONSE Manage the 2020 admissions round with expected high numbers of applications Work with the primary school to ensure 2020 admissions are planned appropriately Continue discussions with developer on hand-over of new school site considering the opportunity of more land MEDIUM/LONGER TERM RESPONSE Commissioning the new school in Cringleford Ensure sufficient secondary school places for children who live in Cringleford Capital response CRINGLEFORD Future programmes School Scheme Stage Cost/estimate New primary or FE Site secured under S106 £8m/11m 13 Date if known 2022/23 HETHERSETT (South Norfolk District) 1200+ home strategic development CURRENT LOCAL PROVISION – capacity and organisation From September 2019, both primary phase schools in the village converted to all through primary provision Hethersett Woodside Infant (now Hethersett Woodside Primary) now offers Y3-6 and will grow year by year and Hethersett Junior (now Hethersett CE VC Primary) accepted their first year of reception age children and will grow year by year Hethersett Woodside Primary will move to their new school site by September 2020 NCC have secured land from the housing developers to allow expansion of Hethersett Academy Construction is on-site, and the new block should open in June 2020 LATEST ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH The large housing development to the north of the village is progressing quickly and we understand the developer is increasing the density of housing by an additional 300 homes Children’s Services are working with South Norfolk District Council to possibly secure additional land for the new primary school to enable a 3FE school in the future if required The Greater Norwich Local plan may allocate more sites for Hethersett, but we believe it will be only small-scale growth rather than a large allocation KEY PRESSURES ON PUPIL NUMBERS From September 2019, Hethersett has 3, with the potential of forms of entry across the two schools At offer day, 84 children had a place at the one of the two schools in the village This gives some spare capacity for reception places for new children moving into the village Numbers need to be carefully managed particularly for Hethersett Primary Hethersett Academy has seen considerable pressure for places in the 2019 Y7 entry admissions round and the school did agree to accept children in excess of their PAN With the addition of the new building, we are working with the school and academy trust to ensure this doesn’t happen for September 2020 IMPACT OF HOUSING GROWTH Housing in Hethersett is already impacting on school provision in the village but the changes that have already taken place at primary level will provide adequate places for new families By early 2020, there will be more understanding of the potential impact of the Greater Norwich Local Plan on this village SHORT TERM RESPONSE Manage pupil numbers at both schools post move to all-though primary Open the new primary school building within the new housing development and move Hethersett Woodside to the new building Open the new block at the high school MEDIUM/LONGER TERM RESPONSE Continue to monitor growth in both Hethersett and Cringleford as part of the review of the Local Plan to 2036 Work with Hethersett Academy to ensure sufficient places for both local children and those living in the school feeder catchments 14 Capital response HETHERSETT Future programmes School Scheme Stage Cost/estimate New site for infant as primary Junior School to primary Hethersett Academy FE Construction £8m Date if known 2020 FE Construction £4m 2019/20 Staged expansion Construction £8m 2019/20 BRADWELL (Great Yarmouth Borough) 1000 new homes CURRENT LOCAL PROVISION – capacity and organisation The catchment schools for this new development are Hillside, Homefield and Woodlands Primary Schools who provide 120 places between them for each year group These schools share a catchment to the North of the housing site All schools are all at capacity and September 2019 was a particularly high year for reception admissions There is a noticeable parental preference movement of children around this area particularly to the relatively close primary schools of Moorlands, Peterhouse and Herman LATEST ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH Housing has commenced on the site and the road infrastructure is in place 260 of the 850 strategic development have been completed as at summer 2019 The smaller development of 130 dwellings has had planning permitted but has not yet commenced During 2019 we received details of an application for a further 600 new dwellings in Bradwell (150 as a full planning application and 450 as an outline application) KEY PRESSURES ON PUPIL NUMBERS Pressure for places at reception was evident for the 2019 admissions round but was managed effectively Pupil forecasts indicate a slight decline in catchment cohorts but this will be closely monitored IMPACT OF HOUSING GROWTH The impact of the housing has not been as great as expected which has delayed our requirement for progressing the proposed new primary school Children’s Services will closely monitor pupil numbers particularly when the further housing commences SHORT TERM RESPONSE Continue to monitor pupil numbers and housing progress MEDIUM/LONGER TERM RESPONSE Secure the new primary school site from Persimmon Homes and build the school Capital response BRADWELL School Scheme Stage Cost/estimate Future programmes New primary school 2FE Currently on hold awaiting IRO £8m 15 Date if known 2021+ Ormiston Venture Academy need for more places Pressure for places not yet imminent Expansion - FAKENHAM (North Norfolk) 1400+ new homes CURRENT LOCAL PROVISION – capacity and organisation Fakenham town is served by Fakenham Infant and Fakenham Junior Schools The town is surrounded by smaller village schools such as Stibbard, Colkirk and Sculthorpe Primary Schools There is some parental preference movement in and out of Fakenham to village schools, although most children who live in Fakenham attend the schools in the Town Secondary school provision for Fakenham children is at the local Fakenham Academy which has recently brought children from two sites together on one site LATEST ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH The major growth allocation for Fakenham for 950 dwellings is to the north of Rudham Stile Lane NCC were consulted again back in 2017 and an outline application has been submitted but very little communication has been had recently A site for an additional primary school provision has been secured on this allocation KEY PRESSURES ON PUPIL NUMBERS There is currently no pressure on pupil numbers either at primary or secondary IMPACT OF HOUSING GROWTH Due to the delays in planning to bring forward this new housing it is difficult to tell how it will impact on local schools when it does eventually commence We will continue to monitor progress with North Norfolk District Council SHORT TERM RESPONSE Although we have had discussions with the two primary phase schools in the Town there is no need for any further action until there is more certainty with the housing MEDIUM/LONGER TERM RESPONSE Longer term there is a possibility of a new primary phase school in the Town and how that school will interact with existing provision is yet to be known Capital response FAKENHAM School Scheme Stage Cost/estimate Future programmes New primary school 2FE - £8m 16 Date if known Unknown LONG STRATTON (South Norfolk) 1800 new homes CURRENT LOCAL PROVISION – capacity and organisation Long Stratton primary school provision is provided by Manor Field Infant School and St Mary’s Junior School (academy) Both schools currently have unfilled places There is interest from both schools to move to all-through primary longer term Long Stratton High School provides education for 11-16 in the village The school is currently operating with an admission number of 120 but have scope for a larger cohort if needed LATEST ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH This large allocation for 1800 is dependent on the completion of a bypass The developer has been re-engaged and the housing planning application is anticipated to be reconsulted on and determined by the middle of 2020 NCC is working with the developer and SNC to submit an outline business case for the bypass by the end of 2019/early 2020 Currently it is planned for construction commencing in 2022 KEY PRESSURES ON PUPIL NUMBERS Both primary phase schools and the high school in Long Stratton have spare places and we anticipate that up to 400 new homes could be built before pressure for places will be evident We have factored these assumptions into the timing of the construction of the new school building IMPACT OF HOUSING GROWTH As mentioned above, a site for a new school building has been secured and both schools have been asked to discuss how this is likely to impact on them Further discussions will follow once more certainty on the timing of the housing is more evident SHORT TERM RESPONSE Continue discussions with South Norfolk Council and land promoters on the timing of the housing MEDIUM/LONGER TERM RESPONSE Opening of a new primary phase school in Long Stratton with the potential to move to allthrough primary provision in the village Capital response LONG STRATTON Future programmes School Scheme Stage Cost/estimate New primary phase school building High school 2FE/3FE Site location agreed IRO £8m/£11M Expansion of Long Stratton High to be considered longer term - - 17 Date if known 2024+ BLOFIELD/BRUNDALL (up to 700 new homes) CURRENT LOCAL PROVISION – capacity and organisation This local area has its primary school places provided by mainly two schools – Blofield Primary (210 place) and Brundall School (315 place) There are some surrounding schools that impact on primary school provision due to parental preference namely Hemblington and Lingwood but in general, children who live in Brundall and Blofield attend one of these schools All schools mentioned above are full in their 2019 reception admissions round LATEST ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH Housing continues in this area, but we are yet to see the impact on local schools This pattern is not new and often seen with new housing where children begin to arrive 3-4 years after housing is completed KEY PRESSURES ON PUPIL NUMBERS Schools across this area are full but pupil numbers appear to be stable and the impact of housing is not yet evident However, with around 500+ new homes currently in the planning system in this area it is highly likely that numbers will rise in the future IMPACT OF HOUSING GROWTH This is a popular area for families and at some time in the future more primary school places will be required It is likely that an additional form of entry (30 places in each year group) will be sufficient for the medium term SHORT TERM RESPONSE Over the past years Children’s Services have been in discussion with the school, Parish Council and District Council to consider how more school places can be provided for this area The decision has been made that a new school for Blofield was the most appropriate solution, allowing the existing school who are outgrowing their current site to move into A new school will be 420 places and double the size of the existing provision in the village A site search revealed that land to the north of the Wyngates development in Blofield would be the preferred option A walk-in exhibition was held in the summer of 2019 to understand the view of local residents and Children’s Services officers continue discussions on this land with Broadland District Council MEDIUM/LONGER TERM RESPONSE Open a new 420 place primary school building in Blofield and ‘lift and shift’ the existing school into this new building Capital response BLOFIELD School Scheme Stage Cost/estimate New primary school building form entry primary school Site acquisition £8M 18 Date if known 2023 PORINGLAND CURRENT LOCAL PROVISION – capacity and organisation The village of Poringland is served by one primary phase school of 420 places – Poringland Primary school There are other schools surrounding the village of Poringland namely, Stoke Holy Cross, Brooke, Trowse, Alpington and Rocklands Poringland and its surrounding schools are all at capacity for 2019 admissions LATEST ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH Housing in Poringland continues and numbers in the region of 400 homes are still to be built out KEY PRESSURES ON PUPIL NUMBERS September 2019 admissions round was challenging as a bulge year of 80+ children expressed a preference for Poringland Primary School All children were placed in a school but not all at Poringland A similar pattern is expected for 2020 admissions, so actions are being taken now to ensure places are available at a local school for these children IMPACT OF HOUSING GROWTH As in other areas of the County, housing has been slow to make an impact on local schools Pupil forecasts indicate that there are just years of much larger numbers and then a slight drop but continuously more than the admission number of the primary school Indicative forecasting indicates that another primary phase school is likely to be required for the future in Poringland SHORT TERM RESPONSE Discussions with Poringland Primary School with how the school can assist with these bulge years Ongoing discussions with land promoters and the Greater Norwich Local Plan team on how and where a new school site can be located in Poringland MEDIUM/LONGER TERM RESPONSE Confirm the demand for school places and decide whether a new primary school for Poringland is required in response to housing Secure a new site for a new schools Capital response PORINGLAND School Scheme Stage Cost/estimate New primary school Initially 1FE with the scope to increase to 2FE Site search £8M Date if known HELLESDON (Broadland) Allocation for up to 1500 new homes CURRENT LOCAL PROVISION – capacity and organisation Hellesdon has infant/junior schools situated across the area and a large and popular High School The infant schools (Arden Grove, Heather Avenue and Kinsale) have 180 places 19 between them, which is more than adequate for their catchment 2019 reception intake shows some spare capacity and catchment cohorts across the area are stable Mile Cross catchment, which is considerably higher than the number of places at the school has dropped over the past couple of years so less children from that catchment are offered a place in the Hellesdon primary schools The High School is at capacity, but with its popularity, does gain many children from out of area, particularly the North Norwich catchment LATEST ASSESSMENT OF GROWTH The first phase of this housing growth to the eastern side of the Golf club is now on site but no occupations at the time of writing A reserved matters application for phases and and for the phases on the other side of the carriageway have not yet been received so it is likely to be at least years before we can consider securing the school site from Persimmon KEY PRESSURES ON PUPIL NUMBERS Pressure for places in Hellesdon at primary level in reception has reduced in 2019 but now the housing is being built this will be carefully monitored particularly for the 2020 admissions round It is unlikely that there will be any pressure for primary places in the next 3-5 years IMPACT OF HOUSING GROWTH This scale of housing will eventually impact on places in local schools and a new primary school for Hellesdon will be constructed with a site secured within the new development SHORT TERM RESPONSE Continue to monitor pupil numbers during the annual admissions round MEDIUM/LONGER TERM RESPONSE A new primary school including consideration of all-through primary school provision in Hellesdon Consider the capacity at the secondary school to ensure adequate places for local children Capital response HELLESDON School Scheme Stage Future programmes New primary school 2FE - Cost/estimate Date if known IRO £8m 2023+ High school Expansion of Hellesdon High to be considered if necessary - - 20 Part – Growth areas with implications for existing schools AREA AND NUMBER OF HOUSES CURRENT ACTIONS SIGNIFICANT INFRASTRUCTURE GROWTH REQUIREMENTS WISBECH (500+ dwellings in Norfolk) Working with Cambridgeshire and Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council regarding impact of housing An agreement has been made that with the majority of the housing within the Wisbech boundary, the new primary school will be a Wisbech school and all S106 contributions secured by both Cambridgeshire and Norfolk from this development should be allocated towards this school A similar arrangement has been proposed for secondary provision How housing will actually impact on Norfolk schools will be monitored from commencement It is possible that an additional 10-15 places across all year groups may be required from the planned housing in the Town, but this will be monitored closely Any larger scale growth in Aylsham would likely result in the need for a new school site AYLSHAM (500 new homes on two sites) The three primary phase schools now have an admission number of 80 places between them which pupil forecasts indicate is sufficient certainly for the short/medium term Ongoing discussions are being held with these schools regarding pressure for places in the higher year groups DEREHAM/SCARNING/TOFTWOOD Both Scarning and Toftwood are taken into (700 homes) consideration when calculating pupil place requirements for the Dereham area Scarning Primary has grown to a full 420 place school 2019 admissions saw all schools across the area at capacity in reception Discussions with local school and trusts have begun this year to understand the most cost effective and efficient way of providing more places in and around Dereham 21 Primary phase numbers in Dereham tend to fluctuate each year so reception intake will be carefully monitored It is possible that an additional form of entry will be required in the future for Dereham and its surrounding area but although all schools are at capacity, pressure for places is not yet evident DISS/ROYDON (circa 300 in current local plan Possible larger scale growth in the future) HOLT (250-400 homes) KINGS LYNN WOOTTONS/KNIGHTS HILL (1000 dwellings) EASTON (900 new homes) BOWTHORPE/COSTESSEY (1000 homes) An expansion project at Roydon Primary to increase capacity to almost forms of entry should be completed by Christmas This will give 120 places across both Diss and Roydon for the future There is an identified need for a new school building for Holt as the existing school is not suitable for future expansion Discussions still ongoing with a land promoter to secure a new primary school site within a proposed new housing development This site has recently come forward for consultation for outline planning consent for 635 new homes forms of entry across this area should be sufficient for planned growth Any further housing proposed in Diss will result in the need for further discussions with the schools in the Town A new form entry primary school building to allow the existing Holt Primary school to move to new premises Outline planning permission for this large-scale development was secured in November 2016 but since then progress has been slow A developer has now bought the land and is bringing a full planning application to Committee Land next to the existing primary school has been earmarked to allow the school to grow to forms of entry when required The growth in Bowthorpe is not yet affecting primary phase provision but growth in general is impacting on secondary provision in the area Bowthorpe falls within the catchment of two schools, Ormiston Victory Academy and City Academy There is a high preference for places at Ormiston but cohorts in south Norwich are increasing as the larger numbers leave the primary phases so City Academy admitted over its admission limit for 2019 We will monitor progress of the planning application and once housing commencement is more evident work will begin on a masterplan of the existing primary school site for expansion 22 There are opportunities for expansion of existing primary school provision and discussions with schools will begin once more certainty on housing commencement is known A plan for growth at Ormiston Victory Academy began in 2019 with the addition of new modular accommodation A masterplan to the develop the school site to its full potential has been drawn up and a plan for expansion is currently being discussed with the school and the Trust Part - Areas of the County indicating a decline in pupil numbers and where there are several small schools Norfolk, as a rural county is seeing some areas with considerable growth yet other areas with small and sometimes larger decline in pupil numbers The annual DfE School Capacity return for 2019 reflects the challenge for areas of declining numbers The DfE has written to Norfolk asking for the first time in several years to plan not only for growth areas but also areas of decline This section seeks to identify these areas of decline to allow a plan of future actions to commence The following table identifies Planning Areas (defined by the DfE as an area within the local authority which is used for the purposes of assessing current and future pupil demand for school place provision) where demographic decline in pupil numbers has been evident over the past years: DISS PRIMARY PHASE DOWNHAM MARKET PRIMARY PHASE LODDON PRIMARY PHASE METHWOLD PRIMARY PHASE WELLS PRIMARY PHASE In line with prepared policy, NCC will analyse all planning areas with more than one very small school less than 105 pupils on roll NCC does recognise that there are many catchment areas showing a sustainable decline over the next years Not all of these will necessarily affect the schools’ ability to provide a good education In those areas that are likely to be affected, the LA will conduct a` Formal Review` process for schools or groups of schools The full range of issues will be taken into account and all the appropriate services will be involved This will enable a formal recommendation to be made to Governing Boards on which they will be recommended to base their strategic future plans It will encompass • • • • Norfolk coastal villages Rural schools surrounding either a larger village or Town South and West Norfolk border villages Some small rural Norfolk villages However, priority is given in line with agreed policy and primarily based on a sustained offer of a good education rather than school size 23 24