Minutes:
Grahame Ward talked about his time as a pupil at Seabrook School and said that over 48 years ago a new building had been promised. KCC was fully aware of the poor state of the school but funding a new building was always going to be an issue. With the credit crunch and problems with Northern Rock the Governments capital build programme was very disappointing with KCC getting £48m less than we were expecting. The planned KCC education capital programme requires £142m of capital receipts but at the moment there is no market to buy KCC properties and nothing would be raised from selling the current school site. So the reality was that KCC was not in a position to rebuild Seabrook school at present.
Q. The Chairman welcomed the Hythe Town Mayor who said a year ago Penny Roan had promised a new school for 2010. It now does not sound as “when” will it now be built but “if” it will ever be built at all.
A. For the next three years there is no funding but a new building is a priority.
Q. We have heard that all before, even in 1960 KCC was saying that!
Q. Will my child, who is now in reception, see a new school before she leaves Seabrook or will she be a grown up mother herself before we get a new school?
A. There is KCC commitment for a new school and that is unlikely to change.
Q. The mayor said he was brought in as a school governor when the school was in special measures. Paul Carter, now KCC Leader, promised a new school over 5 years ago.
A. The initial planning for a new school was refused and that delay did not help.
Q. The current planning consent will run out and then we will have to go through the long winded process again.
A. KCC together with Shepway District Council will ensure the current approved plans are not lost but will be renewed. Alistair Stewart, SDC Chief Executive confirmed this.
Q. What about using the values from the sale of land?
A. The value of the school site is only £400K and the mission hall £300K.
Q. What other new school developments have now got brakes on?
A. With the exception of secondary schools all primary new builds are on hold. Seabrook is the only primary school that we constantly talk about at KCC and I am committed to its rebuild. We have 25,000 pupils being taught in 748 mobile classrooms and that is also unacceptable.
Q. Has not the Government said that should not happen?
A. Yes and in the next four years we hope to cut this by 40%.
Q If the school modernisation programme is on hold but some is going ahead why not allow Seabrook.
A. Some schemes have started but only in secondary schools. The Government have allocated £1.8billion capital budget for secondary education but only £150m for primary; and there is roughly the same amount of pupils in each.
Q. The new school will benefit the whole community; tell me one other state school that is more deserving than Seabrook?
A. Roland Tolputt said St Peters in Folkestone was just as old and founded in 1869 but their new school was also being funded by insurance from last year’s earthquake.
Q. The headteacher asked what is KCC going to do about the worse parts of the school? The school runs on the goodwill of staff, pupils and parents but that can’t go on for ever. The children deserve the right to play football and games without the need to leave the school. They work in a sweatbox under dreadful conditions without complaining.
Q. Seabrook School has no real playground or playing field isn’t there a government policy of pupils having reasonable access to playfields? Do you really care?
A. Fred Wood-Brignall said all the Shepway Members fight hard for this area but at times we are banging our heads against the wall. Equally the other KCC Members are fighting for limited resources for their areas.
Grahame Ward said he was only doing his job as Director of Resources because of the excellent education he got at Seabrook School. Dick Pascoe asked that Members not be insulted when all they wanted was to help the school.
Q. Please keep your passion for this school as we need a new building urgently.
The Chairman thanked Grahame and the audience for the questions received.