School Planning Officer

Lancashire County Council; Preston; Hybrid; GBP 41,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible and hybrid working

Generous annual leave

Ongoing learning and development

Wellbeing initiatives

Job summary

Lancashire County Council in Preston is seeking a School Place Planning Sufficiency Officer to help ensure the right school places align with housing growth. The role involves analyzing demographic, pupil and housing data, producing forecasts and informing education provision strategies across the county.

You will work with schools, planning authorities and developers to monitor capacity, assess housing impacts and contribute to capital projects.

Qualifications

• A degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant discipline, or significant professional experience.
• Experience analysing and interpreting complex data and producing high-quality reports.
• Strong Excel and data management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders.
• Understanding of education, planning or infrastructure planning.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and work independently.

Responsibilities

• Producing pupil forecasts and sufficiency assessments.
• Monitoring school capacity and future demand for places.
• Assessing the impact of housing developments on education provision.
• Supporting planning consultations and developer contribution assessments.
• Preparing reports and recommendations for senior officers and elected members.
• Contributing to education sufficiency strategies and capital projects.
• Building effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Skills

Analytical skills

Data interpretation

Communication skills

Stakeholder engagement

Prioritisation

Independent working

Education/planning knowledge

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent

Tools

Excel

Job description

Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom (Hybrid)

Job Description

Salary £40,777 - £46,142 per annum | 37 hours per week | Permanent, Full Time | School Place Planning Sufficiency Officer (Grade 9)

Education – School Place Planning Team

Location: County Hall / Hybrid

Salary: £40,777- £46,142

International Sponsorship – this role is not open to international sponsorship

Help Shape Lancashire's Future

Lancashire County Council is committed to ensuring every child has access to the right school place at the right time. As housing growth continues across the county, we are seeking a motivated and analytical School Place Planning Officer (Housing) to help ensure that education infrastructure keeps pace with new development.

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the intersection of education, planning and housing, influencing how communities grow and helping secure investment in school places for future generations.

About the Role

Working alongside senior officers, you will support the planning and delivery of education provision across the county by analysing demographic, pupil and housing data, identifying future school place requirements and contributing to strategic solutions.

You will work with a wide range of stakeholders including schools, academy trusts, local planning authorities, developers and colleagues across the Council to help ensure education infrastructure keeps pace with growth and changing community needs.

Key Responsibilities

You will:

• Producing pupil forecasts, sufficiency assessments and strategic analyses.
• Monitoring school capacity and future demand for places.
• Assessing the impact of housing developments on education provision.
• Supporting planning consultations and developer contribution assessments.
• Preparing reports, briefing papers and recommendations for senior officers and elected members.
• Contributing to education sufficiency strategies, school organisation proposals and capital projects.
• Building effective relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders.

About You

We are looking for someone who can combine strong analytical skills with the ability to communicate complex information clearly and effectively.

You will have:

• A degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant discipline, or significant professional experience in a related field.
• Experience of analysing and interpreting complex data and producing high-quality reports.
• Strong Excel and data management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to build productive relationships and influence stakeholders.
• An understanding of education, planning, demographic analysis or infrastructure planning.
• The ability to manage competing priorities and work independently within a professional environment.
• Experience of school place planning, developer contributions, local government or education sufficiency work would be advantageous but is not essential.

At Lancashire County Council, we are committed to making Lancashire the best place to live, work, visit and prosper.

Through our Lancashire Mindset of Growth, Ownership, Optimism and Positive Impact, we invest in our people and support them to develop rewarding careers that make a real difference to local communities.

We offer:

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
• Generous annual leave entitlement.
• Ongoing learning and development opportunities.
• Supportive and collaborative working environment.
• Employee wellbeing initiatives and staff benefits.

Closing date: 28 th August 2026

Interviews: w/c 14 th September 2026

Additional Information

This is designated as an essential car user post. The successful applicant will be required to provide a vehicle for business use and hold appropriate business insurance cover. Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants who are unable to drive due to a

• Locations County Hall, Preston, PR1 8RE, GB (Hybrid)