Council seeks views on planning for future education
We have launched a new consultation to ensure that the demand for future school places is met.
The draft Children and Young People Education Place Planning Plan will set out how the needs of children from nursery through to sixth form will be met over the next four years.
The Council is keen to hear from parents, carers, residents, education providers, stakeholders and any other interested parties about the plan.
Councillor Oscar Ford, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said:
“We want to ensure we continue to provide first-class education and facilities to meet the growing demand for places for the range of needs locally.
"We therefore look forward to hearing from parents and carers and anyone interested in the plans, as their views will help us with our decision-making.”
The draft plan outlines the growing demand for Special Educational Needs and Disability and Alternative Provision places.
Havering has applied for a new 150 place all-through (from primary to post-16) Alternative Provision free school, in partnership with an independent provider.
Figures from the Census showed a 52 percent increase in the number of births between 2002 and 2016, but a decrease between 2016 and 2021.
A lower fertility rate in the borough means there will be a reduction in the demand for school places in the future.
However, at present the demand is high, with a 58 percent increase in the volume of applications received throughout the year compared to the same period two years earlier.
Cabinet recently heard that plans for a new secondary school in the borough had been paused, after current projections showed there was no immediate demand for an additional secondary school, while a bid for a new special free school for children with Special Educational Needs and Disability, was unsuccessful.
The consultation runs until 15 May 2023.