Proposed decision:
The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills to agree to permanently expand the age range of the Westmeads Infant School from 4-7 years to 2-7 years to establish a school run nursery provision.
Reason for the decision
As Westmeads Infant School is a community school, the decision maker is the Local Authority and requires a statutory process to lower the age range of the school. The proposal to lower the age range therefore requires a public notice.
Background
In Spring 2023, the Government announced its ambition of extending the free entitlements to younger children in three phases. Phase one implemented in April 2024, saw children of working parents entitled to 15 hours of funding the term after they turned two. In September 2024, phase two will extend this offer to working parents of those children aged 9 months plus and then in September 2025, phase three will see the working parent entitlement extending to 30 hours for all eligible children.
To support the delivery of this project, the government has made available £100m of capital funding for local authorities through the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant of which Kent has been awarded £2,658,723: 20% to support the schools wraparound programme and 80% for the development of 2,741 early years places to meet the demand of the new entitlements.
Westmeads Infant School currently provides early years education for children who turn five when in the Reception class. The school have proposed to lower the age range from 4-7 to 2-7 years to provide nursery provision at the school.
The proposed nursery provision at Westmeads Infant School will be to open an ‘open air’, outdoor, ‘all weather’ nursery provision for 2-4 year olds within a purpose built building that will incorporate larger outdoor provision adjacent to the building on the school site. The provision would admit 26 3-4 year olds and 13 2 year old pupils.
The Local Authority is confident that the strong and effective leadership of the school has the capacity to establish a successful nursery provision, so that there will be additional pre-school places available for local families.
Securing Kent’s Future
The 'Securing Kent's Future' strategy outlines the measures that KCC intend to take to ensure that Kent remains financially stable, now and long into the future. It describes the statutory priorities, one of which being the statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places are available to any child or young person who requires one. This duty applies to Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision, as well as mainstream settings.
This proposal is necessary for KCC to continue to deliver the statutory duty, in a cost-effective way, in line with the guidelines described in the Securing Kent's Future strategy. It will help to maintain KCC’s strategic role in supporting schools in Kent to deliver accessible, high quality education provision for all families.
Framing Kent’s Future – Our Council Strategy 2022-2026
Legal Implications
KCC, as the Local Authority (LA), has a statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places are available. This duty applies to Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision, as well as mainstream settings.
https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/education-provision/education-provision-plan
Statutory Guidance on the changing of age range of a maintained school can be found in the Making significant changes (‘prescribed alterations’) to maintained schools Statutory guidance for proposers and decision makers October 2024 This guidance primarily relates to The School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2013.
Decision type: Non-key
Decision status: Recommendations Approved (subject to call-in)
Notice of proposed decision first published: 13/11/2024
Decision due: Not before 12th Dec 2024 by Cabinet Member for Education and Skills
Reason: To allow 28 day notice period required under Executive Decision regulations
Lead member: Cabinet Member for Education and Skills
Lead director: Christine McInnes
Department: Education & Young People's Services
Contact: Robert Veale, Assistant Director Education (East Kent) Email: Robert.veale@kent.gov.uk Email: robert.veale@kent.gov.uk.
Consultation process
This decision was considered and endorsed at the meeting of the Children’s, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee on 21 November 2024.
Consultees
A four-week public consultation took place in September/October 2024 and the outcome of the consultation was reported to the Children’s, Young People and Education Cabinet Committee on 21 November 2024.
Financial implications: Financial Implications Capital The school will be applying for capital funding through the Childcare Expansion Capital Grant for £10,000. In addition, the school will be contributing £80,000 capital to fund the additional wooden log cabin building specifically for the nursery provision. Revenue The school will be responsible for establishing the nursery and responsible for all revenue costs associated with the running of the provision. The school will also be responsible for appointing staff as required.
Legal implications: Please see detail above
Equalities implications: Equalities Implications: An Equality Impact Assessment has been completed that indicates that there are no issues. DPIA: A DPIA was not required to be undertaken