Agenda item

Further to Minute 124 (30 June 2014), the Cabinet Member for Education and Schools presented the latest report in respect of the progress of various school expansion projects aimed at addressing the demand for school places in the Borough, together with details of the funding allocations from the Department for Education (DfE) and the proposed projects to which the resources would be allocated.

The Cabinet Member gave an update on the latest pupil population projection figures, which included reference to additional pressures as a result of 230 late applications for Year 7 places from September 2015 being received since the national offer date of 1 March 2015.  A number of steps were being taken to mitigate the situation and discussions would continue with Headteachers and Governing Bodies to ensure that the programme of expansions was maintained.

With regard to funding issues, the Cabinet Member referred to the proposed allocations which included the reallocation of previously agreed funding to enable adjustments, agreed with the DfE, to be made to the extent and/or timing of some projects.  The proposals also covered issues such as the relocation of the Adult College, the potential provision of a loan to enable the Riverside School expansion to be delivered on time and the creation of suitable places for two-year olds.

A general discussion ensued regarding the allocation of the DfE grant funding to Academy / Free Schools and whether it was appropriate to, in effect, direct public money to private bodies. The Cabinet Member for Education and Schools referred to a Memorandum of Understanding that had been entered into with all schools in the Borough which sought to address the borough-wide need for additional school places and the Corporate Director of Children’s Services commented that the allocation of funding from the DfE was on the basis that it would be used to support projects across the school estate and not just community schools.  The Corporate Director also clarified issues in relation to the proposed transfer of the Fanshawe site to Sydney Russell School for the provision of a primary school and the proposed relocation of the Adult College to land adjacent to the main Sydney Russell School site, which would continue to be a Council asset.

The Leader acknowledged the concerns expressed by several colleagues regarding the principles associated with Academy / Free Schools and called for a short adjournment, which commenced at 8.33pm before the meeting resumed at 8.50pm.

On reconvening, the Leader suggested that the shorter-term school expansion plans should proceed to enable the immediate demand pressures to be met but that it would be prudent to review some of the longer-term plans, particularly those to the east of the Borough and primarily in Chadwell Heath and Eastbrook wards to ensure that extra capacity was being delivered to the areas experiencing the highest demand.

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Approve the Future Planning Programme to meet Basic Need (including SEN places) 2014 to 2020 as set out in section 2 and Appendix A to the report, subject to a review of the need for additional school places in the eastern areas of the Borough, particularly covering Chadwell Heath and Eastbrook wards, in relation to the projects from September 2017 onwards;

(ii)  Approve the reallocation within the Capital Programme of £11.2m Targeted Basic Need Programme funding to support expansion projects at All Saints, Jo Richardson and Robert Clack secondary schools as set out in section 3 of the report, and to reallocate Basic Need grant previously allocated to the All Saints and Jo Richardson projects towards the Robert Clack project;

(iii)  Approve the inclusion in the Capital Programme of the DfE grant allocations for 2015/16 as detailed in section 4 of the report;

(iv)  Approve an additional allocation of Basic Need funding of £5.7m for the purchase of land associated with the expansion of Robert Clack School and other increased project costs for inclusion in the Capital Programme for 2016/17, as set out in section 5 of the report;

(v)  Agree the inclusion of £850,000 in the Capital Programme to support the provision of nursery places for two year olds in accordance with the DfE approval, as detailed in section 6 of the report;

(vi)  Note the anticipated funding via the DfE Priority Schools Building Programme towards the projects at Eastbury Community School and Eastbrook Comprehensive School as set out in section 7 of the report, and authorise the Chief Finance Officer to make the appropriate provision within the Capital Programme once confirmation of the allocation is received from the DfE;

(vii)  Agree the principle of a loan to Partnership Learning Trust, which runs Riverside School, to support the building of the school in the timescales needed by the Council to meet demand, and to authorise the Chief Finance Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, the Cabinet Member and Education and Schools and the Corporate Director of Children’s Services, to agree the final terms of a loan, as referred to in section 8 of the report;

(viii)  Note the transfer of the management of the community facilities at Castle Green to Jo Richardson Community School in accordance with Minute 124 (vi) (30 June 2014);

(ix)  Agree, in principle, to the relocation of the Adult College from the Fanshawe site to the site adjacent to Sydney Russell School in Parsloes Avenue and confirm that the shared facilities at Fanshawe should be developed for primary school facilities and the Community Music Service, with the school facility to be operated by Sydney Russell School, as referred to in section 10 of the report;

(x)  Approve the reprofiling of projects within the Capital Programme to reflect appropriate adjustments to schemes, as detailed in section 11 of the report;

(xi)  Agree the procurement principles as set out in section 16.2 of the report and authorise the Corporate Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education and Schools, the Chief Finance Officer and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, to award the respective project contracts; and

(xii)  Request the Corporate Director of Children’s Services to present a further paper to Cabinet in June which provides further detail on demand, financial planning and options for all school building projects due to open from September 2017 onwards.