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  • Decision details
  • Decision details

    21/00070 - Proposal to expand Whitstable and Seasalter Endowed CE Junior School from 192 places to 240 places, increasing the published admission number (PAN) from 48 to 60 for Year three entry in September 2022

    Decision Maker: Cabinet Member for Education and Skills

    Decision status: Recommendations Approved

    Is Key decision?: Yes

    Is subject to call in?: Yes

    Purpose:

    Proposed decision –

     

    (i)             Issue a public notice to permanently expand Whitstable and Seasalter Endowed CE Junior School from 48 to 60 PAN from September 2022.

     

    And, subject to no objections being received to the public notice

     

    (ii)            Expand Whitstable and Seasalter Endowed CE Junior School from 48 to 60 PAN from September 2022.

    (iii)          agree to provide £1.5 million from the Children’s, Young People and Education Capital Budget for the permanent expansion of Whitstable and Seasalter Endowed CE Junior School from 48 to 60 PAN from September 2022.

    (iv)          Authorise the Director of Infrastructure, Strategic and Corporate Services in consultation with the General Counsel and Director of Education to enter into any necessary contracts / agreements on behalf of the County Council.

    (v)           Authorise the Director of Infrastructure, Strategic and Corporate Services to be the nominated Authority Representative within the relevant agreements and to enter into variations as envisaged under the contracts.

     

    This decision is conditional upon planning permission being granted.

     

    ·     Reason for the decision

    To agree to provide £1.5m from the Children’s, Young People and Education Capital Budget for the permanent expansion of Whitstable and Seasalter Endowed CE Junior School from 48 to 60 PAN from September 2021. Decision is required to publish a public notice and to proceed with the project as the project costs have increased to £1.5m

     

    ·     Background – Provide brief additional context

    Whistable has two junior schools and they historically have operated for many years with organisationally inoperable Published Admission Numbers (the number of pupils it can take in each year group). In December 2018 Whitstable Junior School ran a consultation to reduce its Published Admission Number from 75 to 60 with effect from September 2020 onwards. This reduction was agreed by the Schools Adjudicator but was conditional on Whitstable and Seasalter CE Endowed consulting on a proposal to increase its PAN from 48 to 60 to ensure that there were sufficient Junior places to match the number of places in the Whitstable Infant schools. This proposal will ensure the financial viability of both junior and infant schools in Whitstable and ensure that all children attending the infant schools can have the opportunity to move onto a Whitstable Junior school. Whitstable and Seasalter Endowed CE Junior School is a popular school judged “Outstanding” by Ofsted.

     

    A report was taken to Children, Young people and education Cabinet Committee on 15 January 2021 as it was envisaged that planning was to be submitted in February. Due to a number of factors including Covid, method of construction, roofing and drainage issues have all contributed to the costs of the project increasing and planning permission not being submitted until 1 June 2021.

     

    ·     Options (other options considered but discarded)

    There are only two junior schools in Whitstable and therefore there were no other options available.

     

    • How the proposed decision meets the objectives of ‘Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes: Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement (2015-2020)’

    This proposal will help to secure our ambition “to ensure that Kent’s young people have access to the education, work and skills opportunities necessary to support Kent business to grow and be increasingly competitive in the national and international economy”

     

    The Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent 2020-2024 sets out the need for commissioning additional school places.

     

    Decision:

    As Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, I agree to:

     

    (i)       Expand Whitstable and Seasalter Endowed CE Junior School from 48 to 60 PAN from September 2022.

    (ii)       agree to provide £1.8 million from the Children’s, Young People and Education Capital Budget for the permanent expansion of Whitstable and Seasalter Endowed CE Junior School from 48 to 60 PAN from September 2022.

    (iii)      Authorise the Director of Infrastructure, Strategic and Corporate Services in consultation with the General Counsel and Director of Education to enter into any necessary contracts / agreements on behalf of the County Council.

    (iv)      Authorise the Director of Infrastructure, Strategic and Corporate Services to be the nominated Authority Representative within the relevant agreements and to enter into variations as envisaged under the contracts.

     

    This decision is conditional upon planning permission being granted.

     

    Publication date: 04/10/2021

    Date of decision: 04/10/2021

    Effective from: 12/10/2021

    Accompanying Documents: