School estates: core facts overview

Core Fact 3: Sufficiency of the school estate

One of the major challenges for local authorities in managing their school estate is to match the evolving demand for space to deliver education and other services, with supply. This core fact focuses on one major aspect of sufficiency: pupil places. An assessment of sufficiency provides a means for the local authority to determine which of its schools are under or over-occupied by looking at physical space available and type of use. This, along with data on local pupil projections, should help the local authority achieve its sufficiency or occupancy objectives in the short to medium term and plan for the long term. The primary aim of a sufficiency assessment is to offer an objective and consistent method of identifying any surplus or deficit of pupil places in relation to current and projected future demand.

Local authorities determine the formulae used to calculate capacity, in line with Scottish Government guidance (Circular No. 03/2004) ^[6] . They may therefore vary between local authorities and school types.

The sufficiency data required for reporting on each school is:

• Pupil Roll at Sept
• School Capacity
• Roll Capacity
• Projected pupil rolls for next 5 years: Years 1 to 5
• Formula used to calculate capacity: Primary
• Formula used to calculate capacity: Secondary