Central Bedfordshire Council news and press releases | Central Bedfordshire Council
www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
Council says ‘Your Voice Matters’ in consultation about school place plan - Central Bedfordshire Council is asking for your feedback on a proposed new plan to forecast the school places needed in the area up until 2030.

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

We have a statutory duty to make sure that there are enough school places for every child in Central Bedfordshire and a refreshed School Organisation Plan is being proposed to help achieve this.

While the provision of school places is determined, in part, by population data, we are seeking your views on a set of seven principles which will help guide decision-making about how best 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 financially and educationally stable. The principles also consider how we support vulnerable learners in area Special Schools and integrates appropriate Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision within mainstream schools

Central Bedfordshire Council Executive Member for Families and Children, Councillor 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. 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, we 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.

Find out further details about these sessions plus the consultation and how to provide your feedback.