Decision details

Proposed decision:

i.             Agree to increase the funding allocated to expand Highsted Grammar School from £4million to £6,665,574 through providing £2,665,574 additional funding from the Basic Need capital budget.

ii.            Authorise the Director of Infrastructure, Strategic and Corporate Services in consultation with the General Counsel and Director of Education to enter into any necessary contracts / agreements on behalf of the County Council.

iii.          Authorise the Director of Infrastructure, Strategic and Corporate Services 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.

Reason for the decision:

Additional funding of £2,665,574 is required for the expansion of Highsted Grammar school by 1FE from September 2023. Additional costs are due to inflation and a required re-design following initial feasibilities which have arisen since the decision to allocate £4M to this project.

The revised project cost is now £6,665,574. As the revised project cost is more than the ROD of £4m a new ROD is required to authorise the additional funding for this project.

Background:

The Kent Commissioning Plan 2020-2024 identified the need for additional selective places for the Sittingbourne and Sheppey Planning group. Forecasts indicted a deficit of up to 60 Year 7 places for 2021 and a continual need through the plan period of between 1.5FE and 2FE in additional selective school places. Discussions have been held with both grammar schools in Sittingbourne and each school has agreed to progress a 1FE permanent expansion. Each school has offered over their PAN for 2021 and 2022 delivering a total of 60 additional places for each year.

Options (other options considered but discarded):

There are two grammar schools in Sittingbourne, and they have both agreed to a 1FE expansion. Neighbouring planning groups, including Faversham and Canterbury Selective and Maidstone Selective planning group, have a deficit of year 7 places.

How the proposed decision meets the objectives of ‘Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes: Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement (2015-2020)’:

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 (2017 - 2022)’.

The Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent 2020-24 identified the need to commission additional capacity in Sittingbourne Selective Schools.

As Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, I agree to:  

i.              increase the funding allocated to expand Highsted Grammar School from £4million to £6,665,574 through providing £2,665,574 additional funding from the Basic Need capital budget.

ii.            Authorise the Director of Infrastructure, Strategic and Corporate Services in consultation with the General Counsel and Director of Education to enter into any necessary contracts / agreements on behalf of the County Council.

iii.           Authorise the Director of Infrastructure, Strategic and Corporate Services 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.