Cabinet Member decisions

Background Information:

In 2016 it was agreed that Whitfield Aspen Primary School would be expanded by 1FE taking the school to 3FE across two sites. Ultimately the school will expand to 4FE. This was to support new housing within the Whitfield Urban Expansion.

Whitfield Aspen Primary School hosts a specialist resource provision (SRP) for pupils with Profound, Severe and Complex Needs (PSCN). It is the sole provision for primary aged pupils of this need type in the District. As part of the 2016 proposal, it was agreed to increase the designated number to 96 places. Since that time further places have been commissioned to support the demand for primary PSCN provision across the District. As of January 2019, there were 110 pupils on roll in SRP. We now need to regularise the current position and increase the designated number to 112 in order to comply with legislation.

There is sufficient classroom space to accommodate the pupils within the present main site, and once opened, the satellite site.

As Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, I have noted the commissioning intentions for SEN provision as outlined in the paper and agree 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.

Background Information:

In January 2017 the Cabinet Member agreed to the expansion of Deal Parochial Primary School by 1FE, with effect from 1 September 2018. The decision was subject to planning permission being obtained.  The expansion of the school was intended to add capacity and address the need for places as forecast in the 2017-21 Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent, together with demand from consented housing developments.

In April 2018 a decision was taken to delay the expansion of the school and the associated change in published admissions number until September 2020. This was due to less demand for primary places than previously forecast. Forecasts now suggest that the will be sufficient primary school places throughout the forecast period (2019-20 to 2022-23). Therefore, the planned expansion will not need to go ahead, and we would recommend that the decision to expand is formally revoked.

As Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, I agree to:

a)    Revoke the decision to expand Deal Parochial Church of England Primary School by 1FE from September 2020 and the associated change in PAN to 60.

b)    Authorise the Corporate Director – Children’s, Young People and Education Services 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.

Background Information:

The age-range of Stone Bay (Community Special) School changed from11-19 years to 8-19 years from September 2017 with the introduction of KS2 classes.  The school together with KCC now wish to extend the provision to include all of KS2 (from age 7) and KS1 (from age 5) in order to meet local demand.

Options:

The Headteacher and Governing Body fully support the proposal and feel very strongly that there is a need for a KS1 class in Stone Bay School as other special schools in the area are at capacity.  Stone Bay is a specialist provision that provides for children who have a diagnosed autistic spectrum disorder, profound, severe and complex needs and additional comorbidities.

As Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, I agree to:

(i)            issue a public notice to permanently change the age range of the school and subject to no objections being received to the public notice; and

(ii)          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.

Background Information:

In 2016 it was agreed that Sellindge Primary School would be expanded by 0.5FE taking the school to 1FE. This was due to a new housing development of 250 homes opposite Sellindge Primary School.  The developer committed to provide additional land for the School to enable the building to expand, plus £836K in financial contributions.

Since the paper was presented, further development in the Village has been consented which will require the school to expand further in order to ensure sufficient primary places. This development is to provide £528,000 towards the expansion. Additionally, the school is close to the proposed garden town of Otterpool Park (10,000 homes). If consented, the school is likely to be the only option for expansion to support the schooling needs of this community ahead of any school being built. The school is likely, therefore, to need to be expanded to 2FE in the future.

Options:

In order to meet the anticipated future demands and to secure best value for money it is proposed that the School is expanded in 2 phases. First through the provision of six classes. Second, the creation of a second storey of six class on top of the first phase. This would take the School to 2FE.

As Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education I agree to:

(i)       Allocate £1,500,000 from the Children’s, Young People and Education Capital budget to enable a six-classroom block to be added to Sellindge Primary School enabling the school to expand to 1FE;

(ii)        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

(iii)       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. 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.

Background Information:

The Gravesham district section of the Kent Commissioning Plan for Education Provision 2019-23 has identified pressure for Year 7 places in the Gravesham area. The Commissioning Plan identified a need to provide up to 90 additional places in the planning area from September 2019., with further forms of entry required to come online over the next 4-5 years. The expansion of Saint George’s Church of England School supports the increases required in future years.

For 2020, the school will be able to accommodate an additional 30 year 7 places, but for 2021, permanent building works will be required to ensure an increased cohort can continue to be accommodated.

As Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, I agree to:

(a)  Allocate £2.6m from the Children, Young People and Education Capital Budget, to fund any necessary additional works or variations to accommodation.

(b)  Authorise the Director of Infrastructure in consultation with the General Counsel to enter into any necessary contracts/ agreements on behalf of the County Council.

This decision is subject to planning permission being granted.

Background Information:

The Beacon Folkestone is an outstanding special school in Folkestone, designated to accommodate 336 pupils with Profound, Severe and Complex Needs. As of January 2019, it had 369 pupils on roll. As part of the proposal The Beacon Folkestone intend to locate a satellite class at Castle Hill Community Primary School for up to 10 Key Stage 2 children. This will open from September 2019 within accommodation presently available.

Legislation requires that statutory proposals are undertaken where the number of pupils on roll of a special school exceeds its designated number by more than 10%. Therefore, we are proposing to increase the designated number to 380, to regularise the current position and to increase the number of places available. 

As Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, I have noted the commissioning intentions for SEN provision as outlined in the paper and agree to increase the designated number of The Beacon Folkestone from 336 to 380 places.

Reason(s) for decision: In reaching this decision I have taken into account:

• The increase in the number of pupils with an EHCP in need of specialist provision.
• The views of the Local Members, Area Education Officer, Headteacher and Governors of The Beacon Folkestone and Castle Hill Community Primary School,
• The responses to the public consultation,
• The views of the Children’s, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee

Background:

The Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent 2019-2023 sets out how we will carry out our responsibility for ensuring there are sufficient places of high quality, in the right places, for all learners and this proposal supports that aim to provide sufficient places where they are needed.

This proposal will help to secure our ambition “to ensure that Kent’s young people have access to the education, work and skills opportunities necessary to support Kent business to grow and be increasingly competitive in the national and international economy” as set out in ‘Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes: Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement (2015 2020)’.

The Commissioning Plan forecasts indicate a growing demand for Year 7 places in Maidstone from the start of the 2019-20 academic year.  The Maidstone Non-Selective Planning Group is forecast to have a deficit of 132 Year 7 places from 2019-20 that increases to a deficit of 365 places by the end of the Commissioning Plan period.  This represents significant medium-term pressure for additional Year 7 places, which could not reasonably be met by a Free School in central Maidstone or via additional temporary provision.

As Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education Cabinet I agree to:

(i)    Allocate £6.0 million from the Basic Needs budget to fund the permanent expansion of The Maplesden Noakes School.

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

(iii)  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

This decision is conditional upon planning permission being granted. The costs of the project are estimates and these may increase as the project is developed.  If the cost of the project were to be greater than 10%, the Cabinet Member would be required to take a further decision to allocate the additional funding.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education is asked to:

a)    AGREE the proposed district-based governance structure for 0-19 (and up to 25) years non-statutory children’s services.