Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

School Organisation Plan

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council has produced a School Organisation Plan. The purpose of the Plan is to give information about the supply of school places, the number of pupils in the schools maintained by the Authority, and forecast pupil numbers for the next five years.

Summary
All infant and primary schools operate nursery classes, and nursery places are also offered by providers in the private and voluntary sectors. There are sufficient places in all these nursery units for all three and four year olds that require a place.

Pupil numbers in primary schools (that is, infant schools, junior schools, and all-through primary schools) have been falling for some years across most of the Borough. A higher number of births in each of the last three years promises an end to this decline. The latest projections show numbers reaching their lowest in 2009, and then rising slowly from 2010.

Secondary pupil numbers are now declining after many years of stability. This decline will continue through the next five years. It will be necessary to remove about 1000 places from secondary schools in that time. This will be achieved through Building Schools for the Future, a long-term Government investment programme aimed at rebuilding or refurbishing all secondary schools in England. Any proposals to close or significantly alter schools are subject to a statutory process of consultation and decision. That process is outlined in the School Organisation Plan and can also be viewed at www.dcsf.gov.uk/schoolorg/