Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of academy trusts admissions policies and oversubscription criteria on the ability of local authorities to ensure school places for all children following periods of population growth.

In 2022, the Government published research by Isos Partnership looking at how Local Authorities are ensuring sufficient places and supporting vulnerable children. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-provision-for-school-places-and-support-for-vulnerable-children.

Local Authorities have a statutory duty, under Section 14 of the Education Act 1996, to ensure that there are sufficient primary and secondary school places for all children living in their area. The Department provides capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support Local Authorities to meet their statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, based on their own forecast data. They can use this funding to provide places in new schools or through expansions of existing schools, and can work with any school in their local area, including academies and free schools.

Trusts are expected to work collaboratively with Local Authorities, dioceses and other schools in the area, to ensure that there is a co-ordinated approach to place planning and delivery and support Local authorities to meet their legal duty by providing additional places where they are needed. The Department engages with Local Authorities on a regular basis to review their plans for creating additional places and to consider alternatives where necessary. When Local Authorities are experiencing difficulties, the Department will provide support and advice.