Kingston Council given £6.5m from Government for school places in 2018/19

The Government has allocated some £6.5m to Kingston to help ensure there will be enough school places for local children.

This funding is for 2018/19, but has already been allocated to allow for projects such as building to take place ahead of September 2019. Kingston and Surbiton MP James Berry said he was pleased Kingston Council has won the £6,516,820 from the Department for Education.

Parents and councillors in Surbiton have long said the area is in desperate need of primary school places. In 2013 the Education Funding Agency (EFA), along with international free school provider Gems, offered to set up a free school in Surbiton, but bought Swan House in the middle of Kingston town centre instead. Statistics gathered and published by the Greater London Assembly show the predicted number of school places needed for four-year-olds in Berrylands in 2018 will be 144 – a rise of 12 per cent on the current figures moving on to primary education.

Basic need funding is one of two ways in which the Department for Education assists local authorities to fulfil their statutory duty, in making sure there are enough school places for local children. Another way is by funding the creation of Free Schools. The amount allocated to councils is calculated by the Department for Education by using a set formula applied to each local authority. Compared to the surrounding boroughs, Kingston has been awarded more money from Government for 2018/19. Wandsworth will receive no additional basic need funding, and Richmond will get more than £3,835m.

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