Issue - meetings

To receive a report which sets out the request to defer the expansion of Deal Parochial CE Primary School until September 2020 and the reasons for the request.

1.    David Adams (Area Education Officer – South Kent) introduced report which set out the request to defer the expansion of Deal Parochial CE Primary School until September 2020 and the reasons for the request. He said that he had obtained views from the two local Members. One of the local Members said that whilst he had concerns about the deferral, he agreed providing that Kent had the agreement of schools to meet the demand. He also raised an issue regarding secondary education and whether there were sufficient places in Deal for secondary pupils. Another local Member said he supported the expansion plans but equally agreed with the views of the head teachers that the decision to expand the school should be deferred. He had asked that potential transport and traffic implications continue to be assessed and that the Council use this opportunity to look to address issues further.

a)    In response to a question regarding the need for a bulge class, David Adams said that there were 307 first preference applications for 335 school places available in Deal. He said whilst he felt positive that this would be manageable without a bulge class, there was a risk that if a parent was refused admission to the school, an independent appeals panel, or the Schools Adjudicator, may determine whether the child should be admitted as the expansion proposal had gone through public consultation. Therefore, Kent County Council needed to be able to support Deal Parochial CE Primary School admit a bulge class if forced to do so, even if there was not a pressure on school places.

b)    In response to a question, David Adams said it was important to undertake assessments regularly to see whether the anticipated ongoing pressures were continuing to come through.

c)    In response to a question, David Adams confirmed that the proposed capital scheme for Deal Parochial CE Primary School involved a hall expansion, and the creation of a separate teaching block. The £250k referred to in the report related to an expansion of the school hall. This would create an additional space allowing the relocation of the library, which in turn would be used as the additional classroom.  This solution represented better value for money than bringing on a temporary classroom, as the hall extension would be needed as part of the formal scheme.

2.    RESOLVED that the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, to

      i.        Amend the implementation date for the expansion of Deal Parochial CE Primary School by 1FE, and the associated increase in the published admissions number to 60, until September 2020, and conditional upon the obtaining of planning permission for the school expansion; and

    ii.        Agree £250,000 of the existing capital allocation be released to deliver small scale works at Deal Parochial CEPS to facilitate a bulge class if required,

be endorsed.