Agenda item

To note a parcel of school alterations which will shortly be subject to key decisions. The Children’s, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee is asked to endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education on the proposed decisions. The proposed decisions are as follows:

·         19/00023 – Proposal to enlarge The Maplesden Noakes Schoolby increasing the published admission number (PAN) from 180 places to 240 places from September 2021

·         19/00024 – The proposed change of age range of Stone Bay (Community Special) School from 8-19 years to 5-19 years

·         19/00025 – Proposal to increase the designated number of The Beacon Folkestone to 380 places and to open a satellite classroom at Castle Hill Community Primary School

·         19/00026 – Proposal to permanently expand the Secondary provision at Saint George’s Church of England School, Gravesend, from a PAN of 180 to 210

·         19/00029 – Expansion of Sellindge Primary School

·         19/00032 – Revocation of the decision to expand Deal Parochial CE Primary School by 1FE

·         19/00033 – Proposal to increase the designated number of the Aspen Specialist Resource Provision at Whitfield Aspen Primary School from 96 to 112 places

Mr Adams (Area Education Officer (South Kent)), Ms White (Area Education Officer (East Kent)) and Mr Watts (Area Education Officer (North Kent)) were in attendance for this item.

1.          The Chairman set out the proposed decisions to expand or alter the following schools: The Maplesden Noakes School, Stone Bay Community Special School, The Beacon Folkestone, Saint George’s Church of England School, Sellindge Primary School, Deal Parochial Church of England Primary School and Whitfield Aspen Primary School.

2.          In response to a question relating to the proposed decision to expand The Maplesden Noakes School, Ms White said that a pre-planning consultation would be undertaken to address any transport and highways issues concerning the decision.

3.          In response to a question relating to the proposed decision to expand Saint George’s Church of England School, Mr Watts talked about the positive working relationship between Kent County Council and Aletheia Anglican Academies Trust and explained that Saint George’s Church of England School were their own admissions authority.

4.    In response to a question relating to the proposed decision to expand Saint George’s Church of England School, Mr Watts talked about the communications that had been made to communities in relation to the proposal and the ‘drop-in’ session. He added that although Kent County Council were funding the proposed expansion, the planning application would be dealt with by the borough council.

5.          In response to a question relating to the proposed decision to expand Saint George’s Church of England School, Mr Watts talked about the positive impacts that the proposed school expansion would bring, including school places being made available to students with and without faith-based backgrounds.

6.          In response to a question relating to the proposed decision to expand Saint George’s Church of England School, Mr Watts said that as part of the planning application process, a full consultation would take place which would seek to address any highway issues.

7.          RESOLVED that

a)    the decision (19/00023) proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education to allocate £6.0 million from the Basic Need budget to fund the permanent expansion of The Maplesden Noakes School, authorise the Director of Infrastructure in consultation with General Counsel to enter into any necessary contracts/ agreements on behalf of the County Council, and 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, be endorsed.

b)    the decision (19/00024) proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education to issue a public notice to permanently change the age range of Stone Bay (Community Special) School and subject to no objections being received to the public notice, and to change the age range from 8-19 years to 5-19 years in order to provide KS1 places to help with the demand for specialist places for pupils at KS1, be endorsed.

c)    the decision (19/00025) proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education to authorise the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education to issue Public Notice to increase the designated number of The Beacon Folkestone from 336 to 380 places, be endorsed.

d)    the decision (19/00026) proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education to allocate £2.6m from the Children, Young People and Education Capital Budget, to fund any necessary additional works or variations to accommodation in relation to the permanent expansion of the Secondary provision at Saint George’s Church of England School, Gravesend, and authorise the Director of Infrastructure in consultation with the General Counsel to enter into any necessary contracts/ agreements on behalf of the County Council, be endorsed.

(Dr L Sullivan asked that her vote against recommendation (d) be recorded in the minutes)

e)    the decision (19/00029) proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education to allocate £1,500,000 from the Children’s, Young People and Education Capital budget to construct a six-classroom block at Sellindge Primary School enabling the school to expand to 1FE, authorise the Director of Property and Infrastructure Support in consultation with the Director of Governance and Law to enter into any necessary contracts/agreements on behalf of the County Council, and authorise the Director of Property and Infrastructure Support to be the nominated Authority Representative within the relevant agreements and to enter into variations as envisaged under the contracts, be endorsed.

f)     the decision (19/00032) proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education to revoke the decision to expand Deal Parochial CE Primary School by 1FE, and the associated increase in the published admissions number to 60, and authorise the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education to issue Public Notice to revoke the planned expansion of expand Deal Parochial CE Primary School by 1FE and the associated increase in the published admissions number to 60, be endorsed.

g)    the decision (19/00033) proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education to authorise the Corporate Director of Children, Young People and Education to issue Public Notice to increase the designated number of the Aspen Specialist Resource Provision at Whitfield Aspen Primary School from 96 to 112 places, be endorsed.