Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the schools where (a) closures and (b) standard number reductions are planned, broken down by parliamentary constituency. [68497] Jacqui Smith: Where a local authority or governing body plan to close a school they must first consult interested parties, then, after considering views, and if they wish to proceed, must publish statutory proposals. Following publication, and a period for representations, the proposals will be decided by the local authority (if they published the proposals and there are no objections), the local School Organisation Committee (SOC) or the Schools Adjudicator (if the SOC cannot reach a unanimous decision). The Department is not routinely informed of consultations but must be provided with copies of published proposals and the final decisions taken. I have placed two tables in the House Library. Table A lists the 378 schools for which the Department has been informed statutory proposals for closure have been published and approved. Table B lists the 75 schools for which the Department has been informed statutory proposals for closure have been published but has not yet been informed of a decision.
Both tables include schools that are closing, or have been proposed for closure, for a range of reasons. These include cases where the schools proposed for closure are: to be replaced by another school, sometimes on the same site (for example by an academy or a school with a religious character); amalgamating (for example, infant and junior schools) or are part of another local reorganisation. The tables exclude special school and nursery school closure proposals. Standard numbers were abolished by the Education Act 2002. They were replaced by a net capacity formula which assesses the capacity of the school and derives an indicated admission number. When setting the admission number for the school, the admission authority must have regard to the indicated admission number however they can set a number that is higher or lower if they wish. If they set a number that is lower, they must publish a notice to inform local parents. The Department does not maintain a central record of proposals to lower admission numbers. | 
