Decision details

Proposed decision:

(a)  Authorise funding of up to £2,900,000 from the Children’s Young People and Education Capital Budget to enable Chilmington Green Secondary school to open off-site from September 2023.

(b)  Delegate authority to the Director of Property and Infrastructure to take necessary actions, including but not limited to entering into necessary contracts or taking other legal actions as required, to implement the decision.

Background:

The Commissioning Plan for Education in Kent has long identified the strategic solution to the secondary school needs of Ashford to be the provision of a new secondary school at Chilmington Green. This development, consent for 5,750 new homes, provides a site for a new secondary school and, over time, £22.5m of contributions. 

The Department for Education (DfE) has, in principle, included the new school in its “wave programme” and has appointed United Learning Trust (ULT) to be the school sponsor.  The DfE has secured planning permission for the school (June 2022).

KCC’s aspiration had been to have the new school opened in September 2021. Due to delays in getting the site transferred to KCC with all the infrastructure in place, it is unlikely that the school will be open on the permanent site until Easter 2024 at the earliest, but this could be delayed further with up to two years of off-site provision being required.

Currently there are two off site options available:

The Former Ashford South Primary School, Jemmett Road, Ashford

Or

The Former Linden Grove Primary School, Stanhope Road, Ashford

The high level costs for refurbishing the school sites and insuring that there is sufficient provision for up to two years is as follows:

Ashford South: £2,525,557  (Year 1: £1,201,884, Year 2: £1,323,673.59)

Linden Grove: £2,909,668 (Year 1: £2,384,655, Year 2: £525,013 )

Subject to final approval by the Secretary of State for Education, the DfE is willing to approve the opening of the school from September 2023 and to progress the build of Chilmington Green Secondary School, if KCC provides and funds any temporary accommodation needed by the school prior to its new, permanent buildings being occupied.

There is an urgent need to provide secondary school places in Ashford Town non-selective schools in September 2023 and September 2024.  Existing schools have all been admitting further pupils and cannot continue to do so without significant additional investment, and there are no guarantees suitable solutions can be delivered. 

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

I. Authorise funding of up to £2,900,000 from the Education Revenue Budget to enable Chilmington Green Secondary school to open off-site in September 2023.

II. Delegate authority to the Director of Infrastructure to take necessary actions, including but not limited to entering into necessary contracts or taking other legal actions as required, to implement the decision.