Schools for the future overview
As a council we are committed to working with our school community to raise educational achievement in Central Bedfordshire.
Having the right schools in the right places is part of achieving this, as is the move towards a two-tier educational system.
Central Bedfordshire is an area that will grow. Up to 43,000 new homes are expected by 2035. This means that we need to plan for additional school places and align the changes we make through the Schools for the Future programme to this growth so the future demand for school places can be met.
We already plan for school places on a five-year basis but given this scale of growth, we need longer-term, strategic plan for education across Central Bedfordshire for the next 15 – 20 years. We've calculated that we will need an additional 9,700 new school places in the next five years.
The Schools for the Future Programme aims to:
- improve educational outcomes at all key stages
- ensure sufficient places (appropriately located) to best meet demand from housing growth
- shape the future educational landscape – to provide clear educational pathways and reduce the number of transitions
- deliver best value – to ensure viability
- facilitate more school-based SEND (special educational needs and disability) provision
We are working with schools to ensure we have the right school places, in the right locations, delivering the best education.
For more information about progress with the programme go to our Schools for the Future website.