Last week, Warwickshire County Council approved further funding to complete the new school, at Myton Gardens, and meet the local need brought about by the large development of 4,500 new homes.  The new two form entry school is expected to accommodate over 400 pupils once it is completed and has potential to increase that capacity by a further form of entry in subsequent years.

I mention this as it is a case study of how local need is increasing and being met.  Pupil numbers are forecast to grow by 5% in the next five years before they start to plateau off.  Clearly this will create pressures in various parts of the county that need to be addressed. However, we know this is not uniform everywhere and we will be looking to engage with schools in areas where re-organisation of capacity may be required.

The County Council will be refreshing its Education Sufficiency Strategy in the next year, before the current one expires.  Key to this will be engagement and collaboration with schools so that we can give you the physical space and facilities you need so that you can get on with the education of our young people.

We want to do this as early as possible with you so that your input can have maximum value. Please keep an eye out for invitations to an engagement session where we will start that collaborative thinking.  It should be arriving in your inboxes within the next few weeks.

Have a good weekend, all of you, and I very much look forward to seeing many of you soon.

Matt Biggs

Education and Early Years Strategy and Commissioning Manager