Written question WQ87646
- Asked by
- Andrew RT DaviesConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
What support is the Welsh Government providing to schools struggling with capacity?
Answer
Answered by Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Planning of school places is the responsibility of local authorities. They have a duty to ensure there are sufficient schools providing primary and secondary education for their area.
Parents have a right to express a preference for any school they would like their child to attend and where there are spaces available, they will usually be offered a place. Some schools are more popular than others and applications will exceed the number of places available. However, we are not aware of any local authority that does not have sufficient places.
In undertaking their school admission functions admission authorities must act in accordance with the statutory School Admissions Code.
When proposing significant changes to schools, local authorities must comply with the School Organisation Code and take into a range of factors, including the demand for places.
The Welsh government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme provides significant capital investment to support local authorities to meet learner demand within their areas.