Agenda item

A report from the Director of Schools and Children’s Services and Director of Finance, Resources and Customer Services is attached. This sets the scene for the new administration’s approach to the provision of school places for Enfield residents and updates the strategy for the provision of places. (Key decision – reference number 3943)

(Report No.15)

(8.25 – 8.30 pm)

Councillor Ayfer Orhan (Cabinet Member for Education, Children’s Services and Protection) introduced the report of the Director of Schools and Children’s Services and Director of Finance, Resources and Customer Services (No.15) setting out the Council’s approach to the provision of school places for Enfield residents and updating the strategy for the provision of places.

NOTED

1.               Councillor Orhan thanked the deputation (detailed in Minute No.4 above) and noted that previous discussions had also taken place with SWEAT. The concerns which had been raised were recognised together with the impact of the unsuccessful free school application by Ashmole Academy.

2.               Councillor Orhan stated that the Council did not have any control over free schools or academies or for schools that were not within the Borough. The Council’s responsibility was for the provision of sufficient school places within the Borough, an additional 4410 places had been provided. The reports presented to Cabinet provided flexibility to take account of subsequent changes which arose and regular reviews took place.

3.               Andrew Fraser, Director of Schools and Children’s Services, summarised the content of the report.  The GLA projections were released and reviewed annually and the need for extra secondary, primary and special school places determined. The Borough was divided into pupil place planning areas for this purpose; Edmonton County School was in the south west pupil place planning area. In total an additional 9 forms of entry were required by September 2018, with 7 of those needing to be delivered by the Council, as set out in the report.

4.               Members’ attention was drawn to a number of sections in the report including 1.8 – the reallocation of capital funding; 3.4 – the phase two schemes that were either being delivered or subject to feasibility work; 4.2 – the GLA school roll projections. There was less identified immediate pressure in the south west of the Borough for September 2014. The table set out in section 4.8 of the report outlined the need for primary school places for September 2015 and beyond but this was subject to annual review of the GLA projections. The table detailed in section 4.9 of the report listed the options for meeting the demand for primary school reception classes and places from September 2015.

5.               That additional secondary school places would be required from September 2018. There were also identified challenges to be met in special school provision.

6.               That the proposals contained within the report were borough-wide and included primary, secondary and special school provision. The significant capital expenditure requirement, set out in the report, was noted.

7.               Councillor Taylor concluded, in response to points raised in the deputation, the short and longer-term proposals for the south west of the Borough as detailed in the report.

Alternative Options Considered: Enfield Council had a statutory responsibility to provide the necessary school places. The School Expansion Programme created a mechanism to assist with the delivery of extra capacity required. Failure to provide enough school places was not an option. The following proposals had been considered but rejected:

·       Increasing class sizes to over 30 pupils. Current legislation stipulated that Key Stage One classes could not exceed 30 pupils with only one qualified teacher. This did not apply to Key Stage two. However, school accommodation did not normally allow for more than 30 pupils in one class base.

·       The use of community halls as emergency class bases. This option had been explored with a number of head teachers in relation to the development of the Partner School initiative. However, the revised strategy sought to deliver a programme of permanent expansions.

DECISION: The Cabinet agreed to approve

1.               The updated strategy to provide the additional school places required up to 2018 and the continuation of the school expansion programme with an expanded scope to cover the expansion of capacity for special need provision up to 2018.

2.               The project cost estimates generated for the 2013/14 Capital Programme be increased by 26% to take account of changes in construction market cost indexes and current market conditions.

3.               That the overall programme allocation be increased from £63.4 million to £64.9 million to allow for changes in market conditions. This reflected the 26% increase on projects but had been minimised by re-allocating the remaining £10 million from the proposed Brimsdown rebuild that was currently not required to meet demand for places in the North East area. Project level budgets would be updated through the Capital Monitor process and given the pressures on the Council budget, as set out in the Medium Term Financial Strategy, the allocation for school expansions would be managed within the overall Capital Programme agreed in February 2014.

4.               Additional capacity be created to deliver educational services to pupils with special need, with the priority in the short term being Autism – subsequent reports would seek decisions on scheme and cost proposals.

5.               Delegating authority to the Cabinet Member for Education, Children’s Services and Protection and the Cabinet Member for Finance in consultation with the Directors of Schools and Children’s Services and Finance, Resources and Customer Services, or the Assistant Director of Strategic Property Services, to take relevant decisions on:

·       The individual schools and sites that could be expanded, and decisions on statutory expansions, to meet the need for extra pupil places, both mainstream and special, up to 2018.

·       Entering in to contractual arrangements and placing orders for any capital works required for the projects.

·       Conducting any land appropriations as required for schemes to be developed;

·       Conducting any necessary land transactions, including acquisitions by way of freehold or leasehold, as individual schemes were developed.

6.               Delegating authority to the Directors of Schools and Children’s Services and Finance, Resources and Customer Services to take decisions on the:

·       Programme management arrangements and operational resourcing, including procurement of any required support services.

·       Cost estimates, budgets and spend for projects in advance of updates to the Capital Programme.

·       Submission of planning applications.

·       The appropriate procurement routes for individual schemes.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL to approve and adopt the proposed changes to the Council’s Capital Programme.

Reason: The Council had an overriding statutory duty to provide sufficient pupil places to meet anticipated demand. To set out the proposed strategy and delivery arrangements to oversee delivery arrangements for schools with funding secured for expansion, to further develop options for expansion by conducting feasibility studies and consultation with the schools identified and to secure funding through opportunities that become available. This strategy and delivery arrangements would deliver the additional reception places required in the areas of highest demand up to 2018. The expanded capacity aims to provide a higher level of flexibility built in to counter sudden increased in demand.

(Key decision – reference number 3943)