Decision details

To expand the school from 2FE to 3FE and add a 15 place Specialist Resource Provision for children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).

The  Swale  district  section  of  the  Kent  Commissioning  Plan  for  Education   Provision  2015-19   has identified  aneed  for up  to213 Reception  Year places  inSheerness,which  exceeds  the number  of placesavailable.   ExpandingWestMinsterPrimary Schoolfrom2FE to3FE willhelp toaddress these pressures andadheresto theprinciples oftheCommissioningPlan asit increasescapacity ata good, popular  school.    The  SEND  Strategy  forms  the  County  Council's  policy  and  strategy  for  special educationalneeds,andwas approvedby Cabinetin July2013.   Itidentifieskey prioritiesto improve andexpand provision andclosetheattainmentgap forchildrenwithspecialeducationalneeds and disabilities.  Itidentifiedthe needto increasecapacity,includingopening SRBPsinmainstream settings so thatadditionalchildrencan havehelpina localmainstream school.

It isproposedto enlargeWest MinsterPrimarySchoolby 210placestaking thePAN to90 (3FE)for the September 2016intake andeventuallya totalcapacityof 630places.  Itis proposedto adda 15place specialistresourcebase provisionfor childrenwith speech,language andcommunication needs.

a.  Capital:  Theenlargement  oftheschoolrequires theprovisionof 7additionalclassrooms,  as well  as  ancillary   facilities,   plus  a  classroom   for  the  SRBP.  Afeasibility study has been completed. The total costisestimated tobe inthe regionof £3,000,000.  Appropriate funding has beenidentified aspart ofthe Medium TermCapital Programme.   Thecosts ofthe project are estimates and thesemay increaseas theprojectis developed.    Ifthe costof theproject is greater than10%the CabinetMember willbe required totake afurther decisionto allocatethe additionalfunding.

b.Revenue:For aperiodof threeacademic years,from September2016,the schoolwillreceive protection for anadditional30 Reception Yearpupilsat therate of£2,740 perpupil.   Foreach additional  classroom,  resulting  from  the  expansion  ofthe  school,  the  sum of  £6,000  will  be allocated  towards  theclassroom  set-upcosts.The  schoolwill receivefunding forits SRBP;the fundingwillbe allocated  at   £10,000per place,for aguaranteed numberof places  andtop up fundingwillallocatedinadditionto thisbased onthe actualattendance ofthe pupil.

c.   Human:West MinsterPrimarySchoolwillappointadditionalteachers, includinga specialist teacherfor theSRBP, asthe needarisesand theschool sizeincreases.

AsCabinet MemberforEducationandHealth ReformIagreeto:

i.     Issuea publicnoticeto expandWest MinsterPrimary Schoolfrom 2FEto 3FEincreasing  the publishedadmission  numberto 90and adding  a15 placespecialist resource  baseprovision for childrenwith speech,languageandcommunicationneeds.

And,subjectto noobjectionsbeing receivedto thepublicnotice:

ii.       Expandtheschoolandadd aSRBP.

iii.      Allocate£3,000,000from Education& YoungPeople'sServicesCapitalBudget.

iv.     AuthorisetheDirector ofPropertyandInfrastructureSupport inconsultationwith theDirector of LawandGovernance toenter intoanynecessary contracts/agreements onbehalfof the CountyCouncil

v.     Authorisethe  Director  ofProperty  andInfrastructureSupport tobe thenominated  Authority Representative  within  the  relevant  agreements   and  to  enter  into  variations  as  envisaged underthecontracts

Thisdecisionisconditionaluponplanningpermissionbeinggranted

Shouldobjections, notalreadyconsidered by theCabinet Member whentakingthisdecision, be receivedduring thenoticeperiod,a separatedecisionwill berequiredinorderto continue the proposalandallowfor properconsiderationof thepointsraised.