Management Information Sheet

The DfE recently liaised with the Local Authority on beginning a new survey programme of Net Capacity for all Secondary and Special Schools within Norfolk. This is part of a wider programme being rolled out nationally and will commence later this summer term.

The Net Capacity method is an assessment scheme that measures all spaces available in school buildings, the nature and type of provision each establishment provides and the use of each room. The calculation method then generates an expected capacity for the building occupancy. This is a standard measure and has been used to establish the capacity for all mainstream schools in the Primary and Secondary phase since 2003. The information is used to assess against the demand for school places, this information for Primary and Secondary is used to update the annual SCAP (School Capacity) return and informs the DfE central funding mechanism for school places via Basic Need Capital Funding.

Special Schools have not formed part of the Basic Need allocation previously and we don't expect this to change, but special school information and forecasting will be included for this year SCAP process to aid the DfE growing understanding of capacity and support LAs manage the important infrastructure.

The Local Authority has been asked to comment on the group of schools that will form the assessment over the next 2 years, we anticipate additional information confirming those schools being assessed to be released in June by the DFE.

The changes in the education landscape and in particular the academies programme mean that Net Capacity has not been used and has not remained accurate over time. Therefore the clarity of capacity data across the estate at every level of School both locally and nationally has diminished. The programme of re-assessment is intended to bring this back up to date and to re-establish Net Capacity as the source of capacity data for all schools.

Norfolk continues to try and keep a catalogue of data accurately up to date, and for maintained mainstream schools this is maintained, where information cannot be obtained or detail is not shared with the LA information will be less accurate and could be out of date. Surveys will be carried out by one of the DfE's five appointed survey organisations co-ordinated by the Valuation Office Agency, and supported with base data from NCC's room schedules and floorplans. We expect schools to soon be contacted by the DfE agents to begin scheduling visits very soon.