Decision details

The Cabinet will be provided with an update on the latest funding issues and asked to approve proposals relating to the programme of school capital investment.

The Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Approve the Strategy for Ensuring Sufficient School Places and School Modernisation to 2022/23 and the Future Planning Programme Basic Need (including SEN places) 2016 to 2025 as set out at Appendices 1 and 2 to the report;

(ii)  Agree the inclusion of £700,000 in the Capital Programme to support the provision of nursery places for two-year olds in accordance with the Department for Education approval, as detailed in section 3 of the report; and

(iii)  Authorise the Strategic Director for Service Development and Integration to enter into discussions with potential operators of Free Schools and the Education Funding Agency (EFA) regarding the design and construction processes for new schools in the Borough to enable the Council to influence design, oversee construction and achieve a greater degree of certainty around the on-time delivery of new school places and to comply with requirements imposed by the Education Act 2011.