Decision details

The Cabinet will be provided with an update on demand for school places, new school provision / expansion projects and the latest funding issues and asked to approve appropriate proposals.

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)   Approve the Strategy for Ensuring Sufficient School Places and School Modernisation to 2027, and the Future Planning Programme to meet Basic Need (including SEN places) 2019 to 2027 (revised June 2019) as set out in section 8.3 and Appendices 1 and 2 of the report;

(ii)  Note the urgent work being undertaken by officers regarding additional primary school provision in the Abbey, Eastbury and Gascoigne areas of the Borough as referred to in paragraph 2.4 of the report;

(iii)  Note the work being undertaken by officers in relation to provision of school places for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities as detailed in paragraph 2.7 of the report, including discussions with the Department for Education regarding suitable sites for a new school to support pupils with severe learning difficulties and autism;

(iv)  Approve the inclusion in the Capital Programme of the DfE grant allocations for 2019/20 as detailed in section 3 of the report;

(v)  Note the delay by the Department for Education in announcing Basic Need funding allocations for 2021/22 to support the development of new school places as set out in section 4 of the report;

(vi)  Approve the various projects and associated changes to the Capital Programme as set out in Section 6 and summarised in Section 7 of the report;

(vii)  Delegate authority to the Director of People and Resilience, as advised by the Procurement Board, to consider and approve the final procurement strategies for each project; and

(viii)  Delegate authority to the Director of People and Resilience, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education Attainment and School Improvement, the Chief Operating Officer and the Director of Law and Governance, to conduct the procurements and award the respective project contracts.