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13/01/2015
Crunch On School Places Could Reach 'Tipping Point' - LGA
Schools may be pushed to "breaking point" after council leaders are warning ahead of the deadline for primary school admissions.
Thursday, 15 January, is the deadline for parents to apply for primary school places for September 2015. The parents of some 370,000 three- and four-year-olds will apply for a school place for their child.
While schools and councils are pulling out all the stops to ensure there is a place for every child, the Local Government Association (LGA) is concerned the crunch on school places could soon reach a tipping point when there is no more space or money to extend schools.
The LGA is calling on the Government to fully-fund the cost of all school places, now and in the future, and to give councils the powers to open new schools without bureaucratic burdens so they can be delivered according to local need.
Department for Education (DfE) data predicts there could be 900,000 extra pupils in English schools over the next decade. New LGA modelling suggests the cost of creating places for all of these pupils is £12 billion.
The LGA has published plans to ensure every child gets a place at a good, local school. This forms part of the LGA's campaign ‘Investing in our nation's future', which sets out what the next government needs to do in its first 100 days after May's General Election by radically devolving power to local areas. The campaign outlines a raft of measures, which, if implemented, would save the public purse £11 billion, tackle the country's housing crisis, ensure every child had a place at a good school, reduce long-term unemployment, address the pothole backlog and improve the nation's health.
(CD/IT)
Thursday, 15 January, is the deadline for parents to apply for primary school places for September 2015. The parents of some 370,000 three- and four-year-olds will apply for a school place for their child.
While schools and councils are pulling out all the stops to ensure there is a place for every child, the Local Government Association (LGA) is concerned the crunch on school places could soon reach a tipping point when there is no more space or money to extend schools.
The LGA is calling on the Government to fully-fund the cost of all school places, now and in the future, and to give councils the powers to open new schools without bureaucratic burdens so they can be delivered according to local need.
Department for Education (DfE) data predicts there could be 900,000 extra pupils in English schools over the next decade. New LGA modelling suggests the cost of creating places for all of these pupils is £12 billion.
The LGA has published plans to ensure every child gets a place at a good, local school. This forms part of the LGA's campaign ‘Investing in our nation's future', which sets out what the next government needs to do in its first 100 days after May's General Election by radically devolving power to local areas. The campaign outlines a raft of measures, which, if implemented, would save the public purse £11 billion, tackle the country's housing crisis, ensure every child had a place at a good school, reduce long-term unemployment, address the pothole backlog and improve the nation's health.
(CD/IT)
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27 August 2014
£1bn Shortage In Funding For School Places - LGA
Councils are warning there is a £1bn shortage in school places funding. It has been said that councils have abandoned building projects, cut back on school maintenance and borrowed money in order to pay for a school place for every child, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).
£1bn Shortage In Funding For School Places - LGA
Councils are warning there is a £1bn shortage in school places funding. It has been said that councils have abandoned building projects, cut back on school maintenance and borrowed money in order to pay for a school place for every child, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).
02 October 2008
Free School Meals For Scots Primary School Pupils
All school pupils in primaries one to three in Scotland are to be entitled to free school meals following successful pilot schemes.
Free School Meals For Scots Primary School Pupils
All school pupils in primaries one to three in Scotland are to be entitled to free school meals following successful pilot schemes.
14 March 2014
Secondary Schools Need More Places
A third of local authorities in England and Wales need to take urgent action to increase their school places to meet increasing demand according to a report released by the Local Government Association (LGA). The figures show that 80,000 new places may be needed by 2020.
Secondary Schools Need More Places
A third of local authorities in England and Wales need to take urgent action to increase their school places to meet increasing demand according to a report released by the Local Government Association (LGA). The figures show that 80,000 new places may be needed by 2020.
05 December 2013
£1bn Towards Free School Meals
£1bn is being unlocked to fund the Department of Education's free school meals commitment. The news, announced by deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, follows an announcement in September that every child in reception, year 1 and year 2 in state-funded schools will receive a free school lunch.
£1bn Towards Free School Meals
£1bn is being unlocked to fund the Department of Education's free school meals commitment. The news, announced by deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, follows an announcement in September that every child in reception, year 1 and year 2 in state-funded schools will receive a free school lunch.
13 June 2006
'Top up' swimming lessons announced
Primary school pupils who are unable to swim by the age of 11 will be given additional swimming lessons under a new scheme launched by the government. Swimming lessons are already compulsory for primary school children in England, with 83% of pupils able to swim competently by the age of 11.
'Top up' swimming lessons announced
Primary school pupils who are unable to swim by the age of 11 will be given additional swimming lessons under a new scheme launched by the government. Swimming lessons are already compulsory for primary school children in England, with 83% of pupils able to swim competently by the age of 11.
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:Gale, coastal severe gale, northwest winds ease from late afternoon. Scattered showers will fall as snow over the hills at first, becoming isolated from mid-afternoon. Maximum temperature 7 °C.Tonight:Showers, scattered in the evening, will clear by midnight leaving the night dry with clear spells. Cloud will spread east towards morning. Minimum temperature 2 °C.
