Decision details

The Cabinet will be presented with a report that reviews the provision of school places in the Borough and be asked to approve proposals to provide some additional places to respond to increased demand.

Cabinet resolved:

(i)  To agree the Strategy for Ensuring Education Places 2012/13 to 2020/21 as set out at Appendix 1 to the report;

(ii)  To agree to the inclusion in the Council’s Capital Programme of the following:

(a)  Robert Clack Comprehensive School Expansion - an additional £11.2m allocated by the DfE, increasing the overall budget to £27.35m;

(b)  New Special Free School at Barking Riverside - the inclusion of £7.8m which shall be offset against income from the DfE.

(iii)  To approve, in principle, the projects set out in Section 6 of the report, subject to:

(a)  a full capital appraisal process of individual schemes to assess the financial, procurement, legal and risk implications; and

(b)  further reports to Cabinet on the full detail of the capital programmes and associated implications;

(iv)  To approve, in principle, the procurement routes for the necessary works, goods and services for the individual projects set out in paragraph 12.2.5 of the report using the Council’s Construction Framework Contractors, Thames Partnership for Learning Limited (the Council’s Local Education Partnership (LEP)) or the Government Procurement Service framework in respect of the Special Needs Free School at Barking Riverside;

(v)  To delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, to approve the procurement strategies and action the procurement processes following consideration by the Procurement Board of the detailed procurement requirements of the various schemes;

(vi)  To delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, the Chief Finance Officer and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, to award the respective project contracts set out in the report; and

(vii)  To approve the appropriation of 202A Halbutt Street and Markyate Library from Adult Services to Children’s Services with effect from 1 February 2014 and 1 April 2014 respectively, for the purpose of developing early education places for two-year olds in the Borough.