We have questioned before the need for a new secondary school in Hart District. Interestingly, an FOI request made by a Hart District resident has demonstrated that more than 11% of pupils at Hart Schools come from outside the district. The relevant questions and answers are shown below:
How many children are currently being educated in state schools within Hart District?
13436 pupils in primary and secondary schools
How many of these children live outside Hart District?
1533 pupils
How many children from Hart District are being educated outside the District in State schools?
264 pupils, of which 103 are in special schools, the remainder being in primary and secondary. These figures do not include pupils who may live in Hart but are enrolled in schools outside Hampshire LA.
These figures include 13.6% of Robert Mays and 5% of Calthorpe Park pupils coming from outside the district.
These pupils are in addition to the extra capacity forecast for secondary school pupils up to 2018 and the forecast reduction in birth rate.
Secondary School Capacity in Hart District
It is looking increasingly likely that Hart does not need a new secondary school.
Hart for comparison – if you find a more useful one, let me know!
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/hart_ward_boundaries_2008_jpg.jpg
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/schooldetails?dfes=4511#catchment
Like I said, it may be misleading if the catchment area crosses 2 districts. If the catchment area is fully within Hart, then it is not misleading. I shall try to find a diagram.
Odiham (Robert Mays) is about as far from the other district boundaries as it can be. Calthorpe is similarly quite a way away from Rushmoor.
Having said that, the data quoted in the article needs to be handled with care. Schools near the District boundary may well have a catchment area that crosses into an adjoining council.
Since school admission policies are not permitted to consider District boundaries, the fact that 13.6% of students at Robert May’s are from outside Hart may be completely irrelevant and misleading, as it would depend on where the catchment area is. Only if the whole catchment area is within Hart would the figure be relevant.
There may, of course, also be parts of Hart where the catchment area is for a school in another District, most likely around Yateley, Farnborough and Farnham.
The schools have to follow their admissions policies:
e.g., for Court Moor
http://www.education.hants.gov.uk/admissions/schoolpolicies/2016/41172016.pdf
This means that students outside the catchment area with no other link to the school can only get in if there are vacancies once all other students have been dealt with. Hampshire cannot offer places to children outside the area unless vacancies exist. Conversely, a school cannot refuse admissions until places run out.
Hart have no input at all into individual school admissions.
To not follow the admissions policy is a serious matter, which would likely end up in court.
Looks like it to me.
So once those children have completed their schooling, as long as Hart Council/HCC do not offer the places to other children from outside the area, these spaces will be free for children from Hart.
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