Education sufficiency, school organisation and provision planning

Education sufficiency, school organisation and provision planning

Information on the sufficiency of education provision 0 to 25 years.

We have a statutory duty to make sure there are enough childcare places to enable parents to take up or remain in work and training; to have free early years education for all eligible young children in their area; and undertake an assessment of the sufficiency of childcare places in its area at least every 3 years, with an annual update, and publish the assessments in the prescribed manner (Childcare Act 2006).

The annual Education Sufficiency February 2026 Cabinet update can be found here:

We also have a duty (under the Education Act 1996) to make sure there are sufficient school places for children and young people who live in the county and to make sure these places are of good quality with enough space to promote parental choice and diversity and to undertake an assessment of the sufficiency of school places in its area with annual updates.

Where the need for a new school is identified, the Council should invite proposals to establish a free school (under the Education Act 2011).

We have a duty (under the Education Act 1996), to ensure arrangements for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are kept under review and to secure educational provision made for pupils aged 16 to 18 and over 19 years for those whom an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan is maintained.

We have general landlord duties for all buildings which they let to academies (under the relevant academy lease), and for all community school buildings, and overall responsibility for capital strategy including basic need, which applies to all pupils (section 14, Education Act 1996).

Sufficiency assessments

In December 2018, Worcestershire County Council Cabinet approved the strategic plan for education place planning in Worcestershire:

To ensure we can meet the above statutory requirements we undertake annual sufficiency assessments for:

  • early years and childcare (including private, voluntary, and independent providers)
  • mainstream Schools (including academies and free schools)
  • SEND Specialist provision (including academies)
  • post 16 (including sixth forms and colleges)

These reports are published under the specific sections below.

Childcare sufficiency

Section 6 of the Education Act 2006 sets out the duty of local authorities of securing, as far as is reasonably possible, sufficient places for children aged 9 months to 4 years of age to access their entitlement to funded nursery education. In addition, local authorities should secure sufficient childcare to support parents to go back to work or to undertake education or training leading to work.

As part of the LA duty, a Childcare Sufficiency Assessment (CSA) report is produced to set out and consider places available (supply) and potential demand for early years and childcare provision from families in Worcestershire.

Report update:

For more information about Childcare Sufficiency, including District based childcare sufficiency maps, parent carer and provider surveys and opportunities for childcare providers to expand provision, please see Childcare sufficiency.

Mainstream including post 16 education sufficiency

School place planning is crucial to ensuring the Council is able to meet its responsibility and support children within Worcestershire to access a good education. Forecasting is at the forefront of this process and ensures that we are able to work with key partners to build our education provision around the demands of a changing demographic landscape.

The Sufficiency and Provision Planning Team carry out an annual forecast of pupil places based on information from the NHS known children data, school census information, admissions and planned housing, and this forms the basis for our School Capacity Return (SCAP). 

Recent forecast:

For more information on this, see School statistics and data collection.

SEND sufficiency (0 to 25 years)

The Council has a duty (under the Education Act 1996) to ensure there are sufficient school places to accommodate the children and young people who reside in the county and to ensure these places are of good quality with sufficient capacity to promote parental choice and diversity. Section 14 of the Education Act 1996 places a duty on Local Authorities to secure educational provision for pupils aged 16 to 18 and over 19 years, and those with special educational needs. Section 315 requires LAs to keep their arrangements for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision under review.

The SEND Sufficiency Report 2025 sets out the education provision available for Worcestershire pupils with SEND and the supply and demand for specialist education provision to meet the needs of pupils living in Worcestershire, see below:

For more information about services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) including The Local Offer, SEND Inspection and updates, please refer to The Local Offer.

School Capacity and Surplus Places

Each year the Department for Education (DfE) conducts the annual School Capacity (SCAP) Survey during the summer term, whereby local authorities are required to provide a variety of data about schools to enable Government to predict funding requirements in future years.

Worcestershire County Council returns a report on the capacity of mainstream schools, special schools and specialist resources in Worcestershire (state-funded schools, including maintained schools overseen by WCC and academies which are overseen by academy trusts). The report also includes surplus places in maintained schools and a forecast of future numbers on roll to assist with predicting shortfalls in school places.

Information is included on:

  • the numbers of state-funded school places in mainstream schools for primary and secondary phases - year groups Reception to Year 11
  • unfilled school places and pupils in places that exceed their school's capacity
  • school sixth form capacity – Years 12 and 13 where a school has sixth-form provision
  • special school capacity
  • capacity of (SEN) units and resourced provision in mainstream schools
  • local authority forecast pupil numbers
  • local authority planned changes to school places; and
  • predicted demand for mainstream and specialist places

Capacity data included here is accurate as at May 2025, mainstream numbers on roll are from October 2024 and special school numbers on roll are from January 2025. The SCAP report was submitted to DfE in July 2025.

Download:

Guidance documents

Download:

Education Capital Investment

The Education Capital Investment Plan sets out the principles and priorities in determining the use of capital funding for education provision. Capital funding for the provision of education to meet the Council’s statutory duties is one element of the Capital Strategy.

Download:

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