{"id":1233,"date":"2019-05-29T11:09:04","date_gmt":"2019-05-29T10:09:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/planning-new\/?page_id=1233"},"modified":"2025-09-11T13:00:40","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T12:00:40","slug":"school-enlargement-process","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/planning\/planning-policies\/pupil-place-planning\/school-enlargement-process\/","title":{"rendered":"School Enlargement Process"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Expanding a Mainstream School<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Governing Bodies of all categories of mainstream school can expand (physical enlargement of premises) without following a formal statutory process.&nbsp;However the Department for Education still&nbsp;expects&nbsp;Governing Bodies will follow a fair and objective process, as outlined below, in three stages.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"accordion-tabs-block\"><ul class=\"accordion\" id=\"block_acf-block-68c2b9e452255\" data-responsive-accordion-tabs=\"accordion medium-tabs large-tabs\" data-allow-all-closed=\"true\" data-multi-expand=\"true\"><li id=\"item-68c2b9e452255-0\" class=\"accordion-item is-active\" data-accordion-item=\"\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"accordion-title\">1. Before Consultation<\/a><div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content><p>Governing Bodies should ensure:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>they liaise with the LA and trustees\/diocese (if any) to ensure that, where possible, a proposal is aligned with wider place planning\/organisational arrangements, and that any necessary consents have been gained.<\/li>\n<li>they have secured necessary capital funding;<\/li>\n<li>they have identified suitable accommodation and sites;<\/li>\n<li>they have secured planning permission and\/or agreement on the transfer of land where necessary;<\/li>\n<li>they have the consent of the site trustees, or other land owner where the land is not owned by the Governing Body;<\/li>\n<li>they have the consent of the relevant religious authorities, as required;<\/li>\n<li>the <a href=\"admissions@devon.gov.uk\">Devon Schools Admissions Team<\/a>\u00a0is content for the Planned Admission Number to be changed where this forms part of the expansion plans, in accordance with the Schools Admissions Code and<\/li>\n<li>that any school travel plans are up-to-date.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/li><li id=\"item-68c2b9e452255-1\" class=\"accordion-item\" data-accordion-item=\"\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"accordion-title\">2. During Consultation<\/a><div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content><p>Governing Bodies should ensure effective\u00a0consultation with parents and other interested parties to gauge demand for their proposed changes and provide sufficient opportunity to give their views, and for the Governing Body to take into account all relevant considerations.<\/p>\n<p>It is recommended that Governing Bodies should:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>consult for a period of six weeks;<\/li>\n<li>consult during term time, rather than school holidays;<\/li>\n<li>take the admissions cycle\u00a0into account for changes that will impact on the school\u2019s admission arrangements;<\/li>\n<li>consider holding a consultation meeting with parents, staff and other stakeholders;<\/li>\n<li>produce a consultation document. A template brochure is provided here;<\/li>\n<li>directly share the consultation document with\u00a0all parents (current and prospective), staff and governors at the school and any school Trustees;<\/li>\n<li>publish\u00a0the consultation document on the school&#8217;s website and<\/li>\n<li>consider\u00a0displaying consultation details in local public places, i.e. local library, post office and notifying local residents.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Local Authority will, on your behalf:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>share the consultation document with\u00a0all schools in Devon,\u00a0the Chair of your Local Learning Community, Diocese (if applicable), Unions, MP, District and County Councillors, Town or Parish Council;<\/li>\n<li>publish\u00a0the consultation document on the DCC <a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/haveyoursay\/categories\/education-and-schools\/\">Have Your Say<\/a> public consultation website.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/li><li id=\"item-68c2b9e452255-2\" class=\"accordion-item\" data-accordion-item=\"\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"accordion-title\">3. After Consultation<\/a><div class=\"accordion-content\" data-tab-content><p>After the consultation period has ended the Governing Body should:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>review any responses received;<\/li>\n<li>ensure the decision is fully minuted at a governor&#8217;s meeting and forward the minutes to the Local Authority;<\/li>\n<li>notify\u00a0parents (current and prospective), staff and governors at the school and any school Trustees;<\/li>\n<li>should publish\u00a0the decision on the school&#8217;s website and<\/li>\n<li>update the school&#8217;s\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.education.gov.uk\/edubase\/home.xhtml\" rel=\"noopener\">EduBase<\/a> entry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Local Authority will, on your behalf:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>notify\u00a0all schools in Devon,\u00a0the Chair of your Local Learning Community, Diocese (if applicable), Unions, MP, District and County Councillors, Town or Parish Council and<\/li>\n<li>publish the decision on\u00a0the DCC <a href=\"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/haveyoursay\/categories\/education-and-schools\/\">Have Your Say<\/a> public consultation website.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Expanding a Mainstream School Governing Bodies of all categories of mainstream school can expand (physical enlargement of premises) without following a formal statutory process.&nbsp;However the Department for Education still&nbsp;expects&nbsp;Governing Bodies will follow a fair and objective process, as outlined below, in three stages.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":710,"featured_media":0,"parent":503,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-1233","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-15 18:36:33","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/710"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1233"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1233\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6420,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1233\/revisions\/6420"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/planning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}