Havering Council wants teachers and parents to give their views on its plans for ensuring "quality" school places for the borough's children.

The authority's draft children and young people education place planning plan 2023 opened for public consultation today (March 20).

On its consultation page, the council said: "The plan sets out how we will carry out our statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient places of high quality, in the right places for all learners, while at the same time fulfilling our other responsibilities to raise education standards and be the champion of children and their families in securing good quality early years, primary, secondary, post-16, special school and alternative provision places across the borough."

There are sufficient early education and childcare places in all wards in the borough, it claims.

But Beam Park, Hacton, Rush Green & Crowlands and St Edwards wards will see an increase in early years education and childcare demand, which the council says it will monitor closely.

New primary schools are planned in Romford and Rainham, as new housing is set to be built.

Plans for 840 homes to be built at the site of Rom Valley Way and the Seedbed Centre include a primary school.

The timeline for the opening of these new schools will need to align with the construction of new housing or there could be surplus places, the council's plan adds.

No new secondary schools are said to be in the pipeline as the council projections indicate that there is no immediate demand for one.

The proposal states that there are sufficient sixth form places in Havering over the next five years to meet the demand.

Read More: Havering Council pauses plans for new secondary school

The one area that the council believes needs more resources is the provision of support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

The council submitted an application for a new free school - to meet the growing needs of children between 5 to 19 years of age on the autism spectrum and with other complex disabilities -  to the Department for Education.

But it was unsuccessful and the council will continue to cater to the needs of these students in mainstream settings wherever appropriate, it said.

The report also highlights that Havering does not have an alternative provision school for primary aged pupils.

Both primary and secondary aged pupils requiring alternative provisions are expected to rise, and to cater for this demand the council is applying for a new 150 place all-through alternative provision free school.

The consultation closes on May 15 - to view the plan and comment, go to consultation.havering.gov.uk/education/cypeppp/.