School place provision strategy

Lancashire County Council is the Strategic Commissioner of Education Provision in Lancashire. The School Place Provision Strategy 2022-25 delivers on the ambition to provide good access, quality and outcomes in education with the aim to provide 'the right number of school places, in the right areas, at the right time to meet need'. It sets out a series of priorities for improvement, areas of growth and reduction in the need for school places, and areas for future action.

The priorities for improvement set out in the strategy support delivery of the county council's Corporate Priorities.

In our efforts to provide better services, the strategy sets out the ambition to make school planning information more easily available. It offers a more responsive approach to local context, where the growth in pupil numbers exceeds forecast numbers, and seeks to develop a better understanding of the impact that a shortage or surplus of places may have on local schools. The strategy gives a commitment to collaborative working with schools across the county, responsible bodies and the Department for Education.

In caring for the vulnerable, the strategy commits to an improvement in the rate at which Children Missing Education are able to access a school place, and introduces a new approach to supporting children and families who are new to east Lancashire, as they transition into our schools.

In protecting the environment, the strategy seeks to deliver sustainable school accommodation within the scope of expansion projects.

Finally, the strategy has a role to play in supporting economic growth and sets out a commitment to engage with major employers, to understand the potential impact of their workforce strategies, and to work closely with local planning authorities in our efforts to secure developer contributions towards education infrastructure and additional places. Built projects will follow Department for Education guidance on standardised design, and the county council will seek opportunities to renew the school estate, through a greater focus on new schools where appropriate.