Agenda item

(Report by Mr M Whiting, Cabinet Member, Education, Learning and Skills and Mr P Leeson, Corporate Director, Education, Learning and Skills)

(Mr K Shovelton, Director of Planning and Access, and Mr D Adams, Area Education Officer – Mid Kent, were present for this item)

1.               The Chairman invited the Director of Planning and Access, Mr Shovelton and Mr Adams to introduce the report.  The following points were raised:

·       The proposal was to enlarge the Discovery School by 30 places thereby admitting 90 Year R pupils for September 2013 and each year thereafter.

·       The need for additional capacity in Kings Hill was generally accepted, however a number of the respondents to the consultation expressed a view that a third school was required in Kings Hill.  The County Council’s view was that if the anticipated expansion of housing in the Kings Hill area was realised a third school would be required and a firm proposal would be brought to this Cabinet Committee at that time. 

·       Additional places were required for September 2013.  If those places were not provided children living in Kings Hill would continue to travel to schools further away.

·       Whether the expansion was temporary or permanent was a technical issue. For the past 3 years The Discovery School had admitted 90 Year R pupils, and currently has a Published Admissions Number of 90, thus the Local Authority was legally bound to admit 90 children in 2013. Until September 2012, the additional Year R pupils had been accommodated within the existing building, due to smaller cohorts further up the school.  One cohort will be able to remain in the school as the use of an existing space has been changed to a class base.  The School Organisation Regulations define a significant enlargement as expansion of the school’s physical premises by at least 30 places and 25% or 200 places whichever is the lesser.     To admit the cohort of 90 children in September 2013 three additional classrooms were needed.  This will enlarge physical premises of the school by 21%.

·       If the school is not significantly enlarged the admission number for 2014 would need to be reduced to 60.

·       There had been a considerable amount of debate within the community at Kings Hill about the need for more primary school provision, and many campaigns to this effect.

·       At the public consultation meeting a lot of parents who spoke had children already attending the Discovery School.  They considered that there was not enough space to take three forms of entry. 

·       Mr Adams confirmed that the hall was large enough for a three form entry.   The traffic issues had been addressed by rearranging the car parking for a more effective drop off area.  The County Council had been through the planning process when local residents had the opportunity to comment on concerns they had on access and highways issues.  This had been signed off by the Highways Authority.  Concerns regarding the capacity of the site being large enough to cope continued to exist, but planning consent had been obtained which would enable the expansion of the school to go ahead if agreed.

2. Members were given the opportunity to make comments and ask questions which included the following:

a)         In reply to a question, Mr Adams advised that there was currently temporary planning consent for modular accommodation and the school could equally have permanent accommodation.  It would be possible to reduce the size of the school in the future.  The mechanism would be to reduce the Published Admissions Number and start to scale the numbers back.   Admissions arrangements are subject to public consultation, thus parents would have the opportunity to comment. 

b)         Members were given an assurance that Officers would continue to work with the Discovery School to ensure that there was adequate accommodation for children to eat their school and pack lunches.

3.               RESOLVED that:-

a)              the responses to comments and questions by Members be noted; and

b)              the Education Cabinet Committee endorses the decision to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Education, Learning and Skills to expand the Discovery School, Tonbridge, by issuing a public notice to expand the school.