Education strategies and policies

School Places Strategy 2023 - 2027

The School Places Strategy 2023- 2027 pulls together the information required to form a strategic view of the need for mainstream school places across Wiltshire. It provides a summary analysis of current provision, identifies gaps and over-provision and sets out how the LA intends to address these. Specifically, the strategy provides a revised and updated policy framework for considering the following:

• statutory proposals, (opening, closing and defining the size and organisation of schools)
• planning and commissioning new school provision
• supporting the development of school organisation change including informal and formal school partnership arrangements which support school to school improvement and make efficient use of resources

The strategy therefore sets out:

• demographic trends in Wiltshire including a summary of new major house building planned in Wiltshire
• details of current school provision
• an analysis of the impact of demographic changes on current provision - surplus places/deficit of places. The data is used by the Local Authority and its partners to inform decision making
• emerging proposals for future provision of places for children and young people in Wiltshire.
• guiding policies and principles upon which decisions will be informed
• details of the Council's strategy for capital investment in schools to secure a place for every child

The strategy is intended to help key stakeholders and partners in the Local Authority, schools, Academy Trusts, governors, parents, diocese, local communities, businesses, and other providers of education, to understand what school places are needed in Wiltshire, now, and in the future, and how they will be provided.

Downloadable documents

School Places Strategy - 2023 to 2027 (PDF) [2MB] (opens new window)

Glossary (OpenDocument text format) [11KB] (opens new window)