Minutes

15      SCHOOL PLACES AND CAPITAL INVESTMENT – The Director: Children and Families submitted a report providing a line of sight to members on the statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places as per the Education Act 1996 Section 14; and details of sources of funding and delivery of projects ensuring sufficient school places.

The demand for existing and future school places was reviewed annually and included:

• Health data on the home address registered at GP practices for children

• Capacity of local schools to accommodate pupils

• Migration trends both within and in/out of North Lincolnshire

• Preferences for places and allocations as at National Offer Day

School capacity and projections (SCAP) data was submitted to the DfE on an annual basis in July together with a commentary providing local context and proposals/planned investment to ensure sufficient places were provided in a timely manner. The SCAP data did not include Special Schools but the DfE had announced that they would be included in the 2023 return.

The capacity of community, voluntary controlled and voluntary aided schools was determined by the DfE net capacity. Historically the capacity of academies had been determined by the DfE funding agreement rather than the physical capacity of the buildings. The DfE had undertaken to review the capacity of academies, so that both schools and academies had capacities that reflected the physical space within the school.

For the purposes of school place planning, North Lincolnshire had been subdivided into school place planning areas as shown in the maps in Appendix 1 of the report. The summer 2022 data update and review showed that the demand for primary places was projected to fall - this aligned to health data, birth rates and ONS information. Paragraph 2.7 of the report gave further information on primary school places in various areas of North Lincolnshire.

Numbers were rising in the secondary sector in line with projected larger cohorts moving through from the primary sector. The LA worked with schools to ensure there were sufficient school places for the September 2022 Y7 intake. Paragraph 2.8 of the report gave further information on secondary school places throughout North Lincolnshire.

Resolved – (a) That the overall position in relation to school populations be noted, and (b) that the fact that popular schools would continue to thrive in terms of number on roll (NOR) but some schools would be facing significant reductions in NOR and would impact on their budgets, be noted.

16      NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE CHILDREN’S COMMISSIONING STRATEGY 2020/24 (2022 REFRESH) - The Director: Children and Families submitted a report noting and endorsing the North Lincolnshire Children’s Commissioning Strategy 2020/24 (2022 refresh). The 2022 refresh built on and articulated the council’s One Family Approach, encompassing the ambition for children to be in their families, in their schools and in their communities. It recognised the excellent progress made and confirmed the integration priorities and commissioning intent across education, health and care for children and families.

The North Lincolnshire Health and Care Integration Plan set the strategic vision and principles for integrated working within North Lincolnshire. The integrated care partnership and governance arrangements established for the place of North Lincolnshire included the Integrated Children’s Trust (ICT) (among others), which reported to the Place Partnership. The ICT was the singular vehicle for developing the council’s integrated approach and commissioning intent across the children and families offer, for children and families.

Set in the context of the Health and Care Integration Plan 2021/24, and through the ICT, the council developed and launched the inaugural Children’s Commissioning Strategy 2020/24 in September 2020. The inaugural strategy articulated the One Family Approach to create a system that worked for all children and families to contribute to the council’s ambition for children to remain in their families, in their schools and in their communities. The strategy also identified five initial ‘shine a light’ areas of focus for partnership action in relation to the One Family Approach, Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health, Early Years, SEND Support and the Children’s Challenge.

Through identified leads and partnership delivery groups, the ICT had oversight of activity, impact and outcomes pertaining the ‘shine a light’ areas of focus. A progress review was presented to the ICT in April 2022, which demonstrated the positive impact on children and families through effective partnership working as detailed in the strategy.

The council continued to be ambitious for the future and for our children and young people, and had high expectations as partners, working with children, families, and communities, to build on the consistent improvement in outcomes across the place and neighbourhoods of North Lincolnshire.

The 2022 refresh further articulated the council’s ambition for children to be in their families, in their schools and in their communities. It continued the focus on, and progress of, an integrated children and families offer that worked for all. Key to this was ongoing integration with schools as primary partners, wider partners and the community to continue to meet the need at the earliest point, enabling sustainable change within families. The 2022 refresh also refined the ‘shine a light’ areas of focus, which are now focused around:

• Emotional wellbeing and mental health

• Best start in life

• Adolescents and youth offer

• Outcomes for children and young people with vulnerabilities

To continue the success of the strategy in achieving the best outcomes, there was also an amplified focus on aligning the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.