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<p>The statutory duty to provide sufficient school places sits with local authorities.
The department allocates capital funding through the Basic Need grant to support local
authorities provide school places, based on their own forecast data.</p><p>Local authorities
can use Basic Need funding to provide places in new schools or through expansions
of existing schools. Where a local authority thinks there is a demographic need for
a new school in its area, it must seek proposals to establish an academy. This is
known as the free school presumption process.</p><p>Stockton-on-Tees was allocated
just under £61.6 million of basic need grant funding between 2011 and 2021. It has
not been allocated funding in subsequent allocations because its data indicates need
for mainstream places up to September 2025 had already been funded in previous years.</p><p>The
department also funds new schools through the central free schools route. Under this
process the department has recently approved a new primary school in Hartlepool that
will also serve the Wynyard area of Stockton-on-Tees.</p>
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