Agenda item

To receive a report by the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform and the Corporate Director for Education and Young People's Services which asks the Committee to consider and endorse, or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform on the decision to authorise the Corporate Director to issue a public notice, allocate £350k from the Education and Young People’s Service Capital budget, authorise the Director of Infrastructure in consultation  with the General Counsel to enter into any necessary contracts/ agreements on behalf of the County Council; and to authorise the Director of Infrastructure to be the nominated Authority Representative within the relevant agreements and to enter into variations as envisaged under the contracts.

(Ms M White, Area Education Officer, East Kent attended the meeting for this item)

1.     Ms White introduced the report which set out the results of the public consultation on the proposal to expand Wickhambreaux CE Primary School for September 2018 and the accommodation works required.  Ms White updated the list of responses to the consultation which had been received since the report had been published: firstly a response from Littlebourne Parish Council and secondly from an early years provider in Littlebourne, neither of which were in support of the proposal.

2.     Ms White responded to questions from members of the Committee as follows:

·         Expansion of Wickhambreaux rather than Littlebourne School was being proposed because at the time of analysis and developer negotiation, Littlebourne had been less popular and was in need of improvement in terms of OFSTED standards.  Despite improvements in standards at Littlebourne School, Wickhambreaux School had been named in the proposals and legislation did not allow for schemes to be amended or substituted.  Further, Wickhambeaux School continued to be oversubscribed.

·         Parking would be addressed as part of the planning process.

·         The expansion of Wickhambreaux School and the vacant spaces in Littlebourne School were projected to be sufficient to meet the additional demands that would be generated by the new housing developments in Littlebourne.

·         The objections by Littlebourne Parish Council related to concerns to ensure a viable school remained in the village and that their site was better placed to cope with additional parking

·         Rural primary schools often used external halls for dining and assembly.  In terms of accommodating all the children and staff, it was also the case that many schools were unable to accommodate the entire school.  Fire regulations and health and safety were always paramount and would be complied with.  Lunches were managed either by phasing or by separating those children with packed lunches from those eating school meals.  Whole school assemblies were not possible at the current time so these proposals would not change the situation.

·         Revenue funding for the school would be in line with the pupil funding scheme – ie there would be additional funds for the school if pupil numbers increased.

3.         RESOLVED to endorse the proposed decision of the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform on the decision to:

a)    Authorise the Corporate Director - Education and Young People's Services to issue Public Notice to expand  the capacity of Wickhambreaux CE School from 105 to 140 pupil places, with a published admissions number of 20 from September 2018 (subject to planning permission being granted);

b)    Allocate £350k from the Education and Young People’s Service Capital budget;

c)    Authorise the Director of Infrastructure in consultation  with the General Counsel to enter into any necessary contracts/ agreements on behalf of the County Council; and

d)    Authorise the Director of Infrastructure to be the nominated Authority Representative within the relevant agreements and to enter into variations as envisaged under the contracts. Variations to contract value to be no more than 10% above the capital funding agreed by the Cabinet Member without requiring a new Record of Decision.

Should objections, not already considered by the Cabinet Member when taking this decision, be received during the public notice period a separate decision would be required in order to continue the proposal in order to allow for proper consideration of the points raised.