Since my time on Hillingdon Council, I have had a keen interest in education affairs. During my time on the Council, I saw the demand for school places rise and fall as you might expect. There has been a long history in the Capital of variations in the number of children, which goes through cycles, but at present there is an alarming drop in numbers.
A report published toward the end of 2023 alarmingly showed that most London boroughs were facing a serious challenge of overcapacity. Hillingdon alone was shown to have seen a 15% reduction in the number of primary school children. This important report also highlighted a serious shortage of places for children with special educational needs and disabilities across the capital.
This is an issue that I have sought to raise with Ministers over the last few months. Today, I had the opportunity to raise it directly with Ministers at the Department for Education during a routine session of oral questions.
In the Minister’s response, he reassured me that the Government are providing £242 million in this financial year to support schools in managing overcapacity. The Minister went on to outline support through the SEND and alternative provision improvement plan, that ensures we are making schools across the country inclusive.
