1. The role of the Local Authority Engagement Team
Pupil Place Planning
The role of the Local Authority Engagement Team

2. Who we are ….. Rob Brophy – Head of Local Authority Engagement Team
Sally Lissenden – South West and West Midlands
Jim Ashbridge – North East London and South Central
Iain Smith - East Midlands and Humber, and East of England

3. … and what we do Engagement with local authorities – beyond SCAP
Provide internal advice and information e.g. Free Schools
Wider role on related place planning themes – planning areas, surplus places, quality of places, efficiency.

4. Role of the PPP Advisers
Act as the interface between the DfE and local authorities on matters relating to school places.
Initially focused on sufficiency of school places but role recently expanded to cover government policy in the following areas:
Quality of school places
Spare capacity
Efficient use of basic need capital
We also lead the work annually to review planning area structures in LAs in advance of the SCAP collection process.

5. Role of the PPP Advisers – Sufficiency A three stage cycle
Engagement driven by Residual Pressure Data from SCAP (Jan)
Engagement driven by National Offer Outcomes (April/May)
Engagement driven by Autumn Sufficiency collection (October)
Stage 1
Stage 3
Stage 2

6. Quality of places Why are we focusing on quality places?
To improve the quality of new places created through school expansions.
What do we already know?
Expansion in RI/I schools usually has valid reasons.
The national picture has remained steady at secondary over the last couple of years, with some improvement at primary.
What do we need from you?
We want you to share the surrounding circumstances leading to introducing places in RI/I schools.
What are we doing with the information you give us?
If we agree that there are ongoing school improvement concerns, we will refer/ hand your information to the RSC and his/her delivery teams, to support you.

7. Spare Capacity Why are we focusing on spare capacity?
In 2017 the National Audit Office highlighted the issue of spare capacity in the school system.
What do we need from you?
We want you to share your approach to managing spare capacity, this will give an understanding of the particular challenges that your local authority may face in managing school capacity and performance.
What are we doing with the information you give us?
With you, we will explore and agree actions that are being or could be taken to reduce the spare capacity and improve the performance of schools.
The information may also help us to identify useful approaches that we may be able to share as part of our activities to support local authorities.

8. Efficient use of Basic Need Capital (1)
Why are we focusing on efficiency?
General drive for improved efficiency in public sector
Considerable variance in cost per place across local authorities based on SCAP Capital Spend Data.
We are not looking to make savings in Basic Need Allocations.
Savings will be realised by local authorities to
Deliver more places for same amount of money
Deliver improvements to condition
Reduce Council contribution to deliver basic need
More funding available locally to spend elsewhere on education

9. Efficient use of Basic Need Capital (2)
What are we focusing on?
New Schools and expansions (Basic Need Funding)
Condition Spend Data
Cost/m² as well as cost/place
25% least efficient local authorities
What are we doing to help?
Good Estate Management Guide published in April 2018
Working with EBDOG to find new ways to share good practice

10. Efficient use of Basic Need Capital (3)
When will this work take place?
Some local authorities have already had visits and reviews as part of 2017/18 review.
Letters have recently been sent to a list of potential local authorities for inclusion in 2018/19 review.
Questionnaires sent out in July to final list of local authorities
Visits arranged October to January
Review findings – February 2019
Action Plans commence from March 2019

11. Planning areas (1) Let’s start with a definition…
A pupil planning area is a geographical area designed and used by an authority to assess current and future pupil demand for school places.
Why are planning areas important to local authorities?
Planning areas can help strategic commissioners of school places, by improving the accuracy of forecasts, reducing the risk of localised need being hidden and thus ensuring appropriate basic need allocations.
So how many are there?
As at 1 May 2017, there were 3,555 pupil planning areas spread across 152 local authorities – 2,503 primary areas and 1,052 secondary areas.
And what does a typical planning area look like?
There is no `one size fits all’ structure, but all planning areas should reflect school clusters and their catchment areas.

12. Planning areas (2) What does DfE do with planning area level data?
We assess current and future shortfalls in school capacity at a planning area level to inform the calculation of basic need.
The data also informs the locations and sizes of new schools, or school expansions, provided through centrally funded capital programmes.
Can we decide what our planning area structure looks like?
You have the discretion to determine your pupil planning areas, but we expect you to consider our guidance when doing so.
Okay, but how do we change our planning areas when we need to?
Each year, we invite you to review your planning areas and propose changes to us if they will improve the accuracy of your forecasting. All agreed changes will then be applied to the next SCAP data collection and the subsequent calculation of basic need allocations.

13. For more information
East Midlands and Humber and East of England – Iain Smith Lancashire and West Yorkshire – Victoria Witter North – Anne Giles North East London and South Central – Jim Ashbridge South East and South East London – Jonathan Johnson South West and West Midlands – Sally Lissenden

14. For more information Contact usBy
Visit the website
Scorecards: school-places-scorecards-2017
Planning area guidance: authority-pupil-planning-areas