The Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Panel of Worcestershire Council is scheduled to meet on Monday, 2 February 2026. The primary focus of the meeting will be a pre-decision scrutiny of a report concerning education sufficiency, which will also be considered by the Cabinet on 5 February 2026.

Education Sufficiency Annual Update

The panel is set to receive an update on recommendations related to school organisation and education sufficiency. This update will inform the Cabinet's consideration of the matter on 5 February 2026. The report pack indicates that the Assistant Director of Education, Early Years, Inclusion and Place Planning, Sarah Wilkins, and the Group Manager for Education Sufficiency, Place Planning and School Admissions, Rachel Kiernan, have been invited to present the information and answer questions.

The council has a statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places for children and young people residing in the county, ensuring these places are of good quality and have adequate capacity. This duty extends to providing for pupils aged 16 to 18, and those over 19, as well as those with special educational needs up to the age of 25. The report pack also highlights the council's duty to secure early years provision for eligible children aged 9 months to 4 years, and the government's commitment to providing 30 hours of free childcare per week for qualifying children.

The strategic School Organisation Plan, which is reviewed annually, aims to provide an overview of education place planning. This plan is supported by three sufficiency reports: the Childcare Sufficiency report, the Mainstream school-age Education Sufficiency report, and the SEND Sufficiency report. These reports are updated annually based on data from school censuses, early years censuses, and other sources.

The panel is being asked to consider and comment on the recommendations within the report that will be presented to the Cabinet. They will also provide comments to the Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Education and Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities, which will be considered by the Cabinet. Additionally, the panel will determine if any further scrutiny or information is required on these topics.

It is noted that parts of this discussion are likely to be held in private session due to the potential disclosure of exempt information relating to the financial or business affairs of individuals or the authority. The report pack states that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. ¹