Issue details

Equality Implications: Equality Impact Assessments can be found at: www.kent.gov.uk/schoolconsultations

This matter is referred to in the Directorates Business Plan and Medium Term Capital Programme.

Financial Implications

1. Capital – On 27 September 2013 the Education Cabinet Committee received a paper on the Targeted Basic Need projects and the Committee resolved to endorse the decision to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform on the proposed decisions to expand and refurbish and build schools in the identified areas.  A further decision, number 14/0098 was taken by the Cabinet Member for Education and Health Reform on 2 September 2014 to allocate £14.6m for the relocation of the school.  It is proposed that this decision be superseded by a further decision to allocate £16.8m of which £2.3m will be from Targeted Basic Need Budget and £14.5m from the Special School Review Budget.  The increase costs result from inflationary pressures on building works and site specific costs for Yeoman’s lane.

The new proposals to make prescribed alterations to Ridge View School will allow for the provision of a new purpose-built special school.  The initial design approach considers the topography and constraints of the site and how this best serves the needs of the school.  The amount of external space for the school is paramount to the school’s curriculum for external learning and play. To optimise the external space the building of the site informed the form of the building, allowing direct access from classrooms and the main building to a secure landscaped external area.

A single building solution creates the opportunity to zone the areas of the school in relation to their function, with communal zones providing space for exchange and the opportunity to share resources. Where previously different functions of the school have been fragmented across different buildings, a single building lends itself to creating a ‘village model’ whereby all parts of the school have access to more facilities and have a greater flexibility of space.

Each cluster of classrooms wraps partially around shared quiet communal zones with access to small group rooms, providing multiple space options for teaching and learning. High ceilings will be provided in order for the classrooms to be bright and airy and all classrooms on the ground floor open onto external areas for outside learning.  For all higher dependent classrooms on the ground floor there is direct access to toilets from classrooms.

The hall will be large enough for three badminton courts and will be able to be divided with a moveable acoustic wall. This alongside the Hydrotherapy pool will provide excellent opportunities for the needs of pupils at the school.

A life skills house will be provide opportunity for pupils to prepare for everyday life after finishing school. This is designed to have the appearance of a regular 3 bedroom house, two stories with a pitched roof.  There will be wheelchair accessible bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor, and fully integrated lower kitchen work tops for independent use by wheelchair users.

b.    Revenue:

i.      The schools delegated budget will be allocated for an agreed number of commissioned places in accordance with the Place Plus High Needs funding methodology.

ii.    Human – Ridge View School will appoint additional teachers, as the school size increases and the need arises.  The costs of the satellite unit would be met from the Dedicated Schools Grant, with funding being provided to Ridge View School to run the provision.  A detailed agreement will be set out in a Memorandum of Understanding, which will be agreed and signed by both schools.