Decision details

The Cabinet will be asked to agree proposals to allocate the Basic Need Allocation to specific projects

Further to Minutes 51 (18 October 2011) and 109 (14 February 2012), the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services presented a report on the proposed allocation of the remaining Basic Need funding for 2012/13 to support expansion and development projects aimed at addressing the growth in demand for school places in the Borough, together with details of the procurement proposals in respect of the projects.

The Cabinet Member commented on the work already underway to improve the school realm and create additional capacity across the Borough.  The Corporate Director of Children’s Services referred specifically to proposed improvement works at Warren Comprehensive School and agreed to include the detailed proposals and costings in a future report. 

With regard to the potential use of the Fanshawe Crescent site as a new primary education facility, the Corporate Director confirmed that the preferred proposal would require the relocation of the Music Service and approximately 80% of the Adult College services.  Discussions would continue on the availability and suitability of alternative sites and the outcome of the discussions would dictate whether the new primary school facility would be able to be operational from the start of the 2013 or the 2014 academic year.  The Corporate Director was asked to include details of those discussions in a further report to Cabinet on the preferred option for the new school, specifying whether it should be linked to an existing community primary school or Voluntary Aided primary school in the locality, or be established as an Academy.

In respect of the £2m funding that was previously set aside for the proposed amalgamation of William Ford and Village Schools which did not come to fruition, the Corporate Director explained the reasons why it was proposed to retain the sum as a contingency but the Cabinet Member for Finance stressed to importance of fully utilising the Council’s capital funds each year.

On the general issue of ensuring that value for money was achieved on all projects, the Corporate Director referred to the important role of the Local Education Partnership while the Leader commented on the need for Headteachers and Governing Bodies to consider joint funding options, such as those entered into by the Council with Sydney Russell and Dagenham Park Comprehensive Schools for their major expansion projects. 

Cabinet agreed:

  (i)  The inclusion in the 2012/13 Capital Programme of the remaining £60m Basic Need grant funding, provided by the Department for Education to help address the need for additional school places, to support the programme of investment for projects set out at paragraph 4.5 and Appendix 1 of the report;

  (ii)  To note the successful bid to the Education Funding Agency for £922,250 to increase sixth form provision at Trinity School;

 (iii)  In principle, to the future use of the Fanshawe Crescent site, currently used by the Adult College and Music Service, to accommodate a three form of entry primary school and a nursery, subject to a further report to Cabinet on the outcome of consultation on the options referred to in paragraph 7 of the report;

 (iv)  In principle, to the funding of works at Warren Secondary School to improve the interface with the public and its presence on Whalebone Lane, subject to a further report to Cabinet on the capital funding required to carry out the works;

  (v)  The procurement proposals for the necessary works, goods and services for the individual projects as set out in paragraph 13.2 of the report, using the Council’s Construction Framework contractors, Thames Partnership for Learning Limited (the Council’s Local Education Partnership (LEP)) or other approved procurement route for the current year projects, to ensure that they are operational for the academic year starting September 2013; and

 (vi)  To authorise the Corporate Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, to approve the procurement strategies and award the respective project contracts set out in the report.