Trusts should work “constructively” with local authorities on school place planning, according to government guidance updated today.
Academy trusts and local authorities are expected to work together to increase and reduce school places in line with changing demand, the guidance on making significant changes to an academy states.
The guidance sets out a “sufficiency framework” for trusts, local authorities and schools to work with the Department for Education on ensuring there are enough school places, and how to manage excess spaces where needed.
The guidance comes as many areas across the country are facing falling rolls in schools due to lower birth rates.
Here are four key points from the DfE’s guidance and what will be expected of trusts:
1. A new eight-step process must be followed
The guidance sets out eight steps for how the place planning process will now work:
- Local authorities agree their pupil forecasts with the DfE.
- Schools that can expand to meet place needs are identified and any options for spare capacity may also be identified.
- Local authorities discuss proposals with trusts and schools and request physical/organisational changes.
- The proposals are shared with the Regions Group by local authorities.
- The Regions Group will consider the proposals.
- Place planning discussions happen between local authorities and the Regions Group.
- Options are finalised by local authorities.
- Final proposals are sent to trusts and other key stakeholders, and published publicly for transparency.
2. Trusts to work ‘collaboratively’ with LAs
Trusts are expected to “work collaboratively and constructively” with local authorities, other trusts, dioceses and the DfE on place planning, and should determine up-to-date capacity assessments.
They are also expected to inform partners promptly of anything that may affect their capacity and any significant changes they are planning.
Any significant changes planned must also be subject to a consultation.
If requests are made for trusts to raise or lower their published admission numbers, they are expected to “act reasonably” and “expand/contract where necessary”.
3. Local authorities to be ‘transparent’ with data
Meanwhile, local authorities are expected to set out medium-term forecasts of place demand, including any shortfalls or surplus places, with reasons.
They must also work with trusts, the DfE and dioceses, and share plans early with the Regions Group to expand or contract provision to make sure these align with the process for commissioning in the wider area.
Local authorities should be transparent about underpinning capacity and forecast data and any rationale for “targeting schools for expansion/contraction”.
4. Regions Group to ensure LAs aren’t ‘unreasonably fettered’
The Regions Group will work with trusts and local authorities to ensure “trusts are supported to deliver places and that local authorities’ ability to meet their sufficiency duty is not unreasonably fettered”.
The sufficiency duty is the local authority’s statutory duty to ensure there are enough school places available in their area for every child.
The Regions Group will discuss place planning with local authorities regularly, and share information on trusts of concern, trust quality and strategic plans for trust growth in the region.
They will also assess trusts’ applications to make significant changes.
Director of trust governance at the Confederation of School Trusts, Samira Sadeghi, said the previous significant change process “lacked sufficient transparency and efficiency”.
She added: “We welcome a more streamlined process for approving low-risk changes, as well as the new sufficiency framework that will facilitate collaborative working between local authorities, academy trusts and other local partners on place planning matters.
“Given the substantial changes to the process, we will want to hear from school trusts about whether this is working well.”
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