Expansion Consultation

Education Consultation
25th September 2023 to 23rd October 2023

The Governors of Herne Bay High School Academy Trust, and Kent County Council, are seeking views on a proposal to expand Herne Bay High School, Bullockstone Road, Herne Bay Kent CT6 7NS, by increasing the Published Admission Number (PAN) from 258 places to 300 places from September 2026.

Herne Bay High School is a hugely popular and oversubscribed school that prides itself on its culture of high expectations and values. We are passionate about ensuring every child, regardless of their cultural, social and academic background, is given the opportunity to reach their full academic potential whilst supporting them to develop as a mature, confident and rounded individual ready to flourish in a rapidly developing world.

As Herne Bay town continues to expand through the many housing developments in the local area, the school continues to be heavily oversubscribed. The governors and teaching staff have discussed the possibility of expanding the school by 1.5 form of entry (FE) from 258 (8.6 FE) to 300 (10 FE) to meet local need and demand. An expansion of the school would allow more local students to obtain places at Herne Bay High School.

Why are we consulting on proposals for Herne Bay High School?
Kent County Council (KCC) as the Local Authority has a statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places are available. The County Council’s Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent 2023-27 is a five- year rolling plan which is updated annually. It sets out our future plans as Strategic Commissioner of Education Provision across all types and phases of education in Kent. A copy of the plan can be viewed from this link: Commissioning Plan for Education Provision - Kent County Council

It is anticipated that there will be significant pressure for additional Year 7 non- selective places which indicates that additional capacity will be needed for 2026 onwards. Therefore, KCC has asked Herne Bay High School to provide additional places for local children by expanding the school.

What is the local demand for places?
KCC forecasts indicate a growing demand for non-selective Year 7 places in the Canterbury District. The forecasts for Canterbury City non- selective planning group indicate a pressure of -0.5FE from the 2026 /27 academic year, increasing to -2.6FE later in the plan period. The Canterbury Coastal non-selective planning area also indicates a pressure on places from 2026. The historical trend of students travelling from the coastal towns to a Canterbury city school places pressure on places at these schools. The expansion of Herne Bay High by 1.5FE will support the reversing of the historical trend of students travelling into Canterbury city schools and will also mitigate the pressure on school places from the predicted growth in demand because of new housing developments in Herne Bay and the surrounding area.

Secondary - Year 7 Surplus/Deficit Capacity if No Further Action is Taken

2023 revised forecasts

Why Herne Bay High School?
Herne Bay High School was judged ‘Good’ by Ofsted in June 2022 and has the capacity on its current site to expand by 1.5FE. The school is heavily oversubscribed.

How will the expansion be delivered?
If the agreed proposal goes ahead, additional accommodation and facilities would be provided for the school in partnership with KCC to enable the school to meet the increase in pupil numbers. Plans for this would include re -configuration of current facilities, additional classrooms and a dining hall expansion.

Feasibilities and plans for the additional accommodation are being developed and will be consulted on before the submission of the final plans for planning approval. Following the submission of the plans, a statutory planning consultation period will commence where there will be a further opportunity to comment on the building proposals.

How will the school deal with any possible increased traffic and congestion?
Traffic and parking assessments will be carried out as part of the design and planning process. The school’s travel plan would need to be updated and would be utilised by the school to encourage families to find alternative ways of travelling to school to reduce the number of car journeys.

Will the expansion adversely affect the school’s operation during the building work?
All the building works will be planned carefully, and contractors will work with the school to ensure that works are scheduled to keep disruption to an absolute minimum. The building site will be a secure area to ensure the health and safety of the students, staff, parents.

The consultation process – indicative timeline