Parents' views sought by Central Beds Council over 'School Organisation Plan'

Have your say on local school placesHave your say on local school places
Have your say on local school places
The council has outlined seven principles when deciding on school places

Central Beds Council is seeking your views on how it determines available places for schools in the area up until 2030.

A ‘Your Voice Matters’ consultation has been launched by the local authority to help decide what the future of mainstream school provision looks like where you live.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The council has a statutory duty to make sure that there are enough school places for every child in Central Bedfordshire and a new ‘School Organisation Plan’ is being proposed to help achieve this.

In the past, local population data has been the guiding principle when determining the need for school places. However, Central Beds has drafted a set of seven new principles about how to meet the demand for school places.

These principles cover things like providing local schools for local children, supporting the expansion of successful and popular schools, and ensuring schools are the right size to be viable. The principles will also consider how the council supports vulnerable children in special needs schools and integrates appropriate Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision within mainstream schools

CBC’s portfolio holder for families and children, Cllr Steve Owen, said: “We hope as many residents as possible will be able to look at the detail of a refreshed School Organisation Plan and help shape it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The principles behind the strategy are in line with the Council’s wider educational vision to increase parental choice, raise standards and help every child reach their potential.

“Ultimately, we want to ensure that the strategy we eventually adopt reflects the needs and expectations of our communities and does not result in damage to existing schools in terms of intakes, the curriculum or children’s education.”

The consultation will run until November 10, 2024, and in the meantime, the Council will be holding drop-in sessions at various locations across Central Bedfordshire, where you can speak to an officer in person about the proposed School Organisation Plan.

There will also be an online session on Thursday 7 November from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.

Visit www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/draft-school-organisational-plan for more details about these sessions plus the consultation and how to provide your feedback via the questionnaire.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1891
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice