CAB0027-JULY19 This Record Relates to Item 4 on the Agenda for The
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Decision No: CAB0027-JULY19 This record relates to Item 4 on the agenda for the Decision- Making RECORD OF EXECUTIVE DECISION 19th July 2007 DECISION-MAKER: CABINET PORTFOLIO AREA: CHILDREN’S SERVICES AND LEARNING SUBJECT: CALL-IN OF EXECUTIVE DECISION NO CAB0008- JULY02: LEARNING FUTURES: DETERMINATION OF STATUTORY POPOSALS AUTHOR: Diane Foley THE DECISION Having read the report, including its recommendations and proposals, heard oral representations made at Cabinet and following consideration of all other relevant matters including the verbal report on the outcome of the call-in presented by the Chair of the Children’s Services & Learning Scrutiny Panel, the decision-maker made the following decision: - (i) To approve the closure of Millbrook Community School on 31st August 2008 (ii) To approve the closure of Oaklands Community School on 31st August 2008 (iii) To select Oasis Community Learning to set up a new school on the Oaklands site, with the Millbrook site retained as a temporary annexe, to open on 1st September 2008 after considering proposals from: • Oasis Community Learning to establish an Academy • Southampton Education Trust to establish a Trust School • United Learning Trust to establish an Academy (iv) To approve the proposals from Oasis Community Learning made under s.66 Education Act 2005 subject to the following modifications: a. that the site and buildings of Oaklands Community School be leased to the promoter of the New School West on a short term lease until long term plans for a new school building, whether on the Oaklands, Five Acre Field or any other appropriate site, are approved and that the land upon which the new building for New School West is constructed be leased for a period of 125 years when the site has been determined; b. that the site and buildings of Millbrook Community School be leased to the promoter of New School West until it is deemed by the Council, following consultation with the school, to be no longer required as an annexe. c. that part of the Five Acre Field is leased on a short term basis so as to provide playing field facilities for New School West until long term plans for 1 the new school building are finalised. d. that the promoter of the new school west be required to adopt the common admissions policy of Southampton City Council for a period of three years, commencing on 1st September 2008. (v) To approve the prescribed alteration (excepted expansion) of Redbridge Community school by way of an increase of 27 or more to the admission number so that from 1st September 2008 it admits up to 210 pupils to Year 7 in place of the current 180, which will result in an increase in its total capacity from 900 to 1050. (vi) To approve the closure of Grove Park Business and Enterprise College on 31st August 2008 (vii) To approve the closure of Woolston School Language College on 31st August 2008 (viii) To select Oasis Community Learning to set up a new school on the Grove Park site, with the Woolston site retained as a temporary annexe, to open on 1st September 2008 after considering proposals from: • CfBT Education Trust to set up a Trust School • Oasis Community Learning to establish an Academy • Southampton Education Trust to establish a Trust School, and • United Learning Trust to establish an Academy (ix) To approve the proposals received from Oasis Community Learning made under s.66 Education Act 2005 subject to the following modifications: a. that the site and buildings of Grove Park Business and Enterprise College be leased to the promoter of the New School East on a short term lease until long term plans for a new school building are approved; and that the Grove Park site then be leased to the promoter for a period of 125 years; b. that the site and buildings of Woolston School Language College be leased to the promoter of New School East until it is deemed by the Council following consultation with the school to be no longer required as an annexe c. that the promoter of the new school east be required to adopt the common admissions policy of Southampton City Council for a period of three years, commencing on 1st September 2008. (x) To approve the prescribed alteration to The Sholing Technology College by changing the character of the school from a single sex girls school to a mixed school by admitting both boys and girls to year 7 from 1st September 2008. (xi) To approve the non-statutory expansion of The Sholing Technology College so that from 1st September 2008 it admits up to 210 pupils to Year 7 in place of the current 190, which will result in an increase in its total capacity to 1050 from 950. (xii) In order to give effect to the proposals at (x) to grant a Transitional Exemption Order in relation to the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (the ‘SDA’) for a period of four years from the date of implementation of the proposals to allow for the change from single sex to co-educational to be phased as set out in the published proposals. (xiii) To request further investigation is conducted into the potential relocation of: • New School West to be part of the Five Acre Field site • Regents Park Community College to the St Mark’s CE Junior/ former Civil 2 Service Sports Ground site • The Sholing Technology College to the Itchen College building (assuming Itchen College plans for relocation are successful) And that a progress report on these investigations be brought to Cabinet by the end of December 2007. (xiv) To request officers to make a case to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for Southampton’s inclusion in the “Building Schools for the Futures” programme at the earliest possible date. (xv) To recommend to Full Council that the capital works outlined in paragraphs 74 - 95, and detailed in appendix 12, which are required to deliver the Learning Futures programme, in the sum of £5,530,025, be added to the Children’s Services & Learning Capital programme (xvi) To recommend to Full Council that it agrees the required funding contribution, in the sum of £3,410,025, funded from corporate resources, towards the total Learning Futures capital costs of £5,530,025. (xvii) To recommend to Full Council that the sum of £250,000, phased £100,000 in 2007/08, and £150,000 in 2008/09, be made available to fund the preparatory work necessary for Building Schools for the Future (BSF). If successful BSF could deliver approximately £250m of capital investment to renew secondary school provision in Southampton. The sum of £250,000 funding to be made available through a draw on reserves. (xviii) To recommend to Full Council that the Woolston Site be declared surplus to educational requirements, once it is no longer required as an annexe for the New School East. (xix) To note that the proposed Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) at Grove Park is now on hold subject to further negotiations with the successful promoter and taking into account any requirements for a new build under Building Schools for the Future. (xx) To note the potential risk of repaying the Big Lottery Fund grant of £583,134 if the existing sports hall at Grove Park is demolished under Building Schools for the Future and not rebuilt as part of the design of a new school and to request that officers use their best endeavours in partnership with the promoter of the New School East to retain the sports hall as part of the design for the new school. (xxi) That the selection of Oasis Community Learning to establish the 2 new schools shall be subject to the condition that an agreement under S,482 of the Education Act 1996 for the establishment of an Academy is entered into with the Secretary of State. REASONS FOR THE DECISION Jurisdiction 3 1. In a notice published on 6 December 2006, Southampton City Council (“the commissioner”) announced its intention to seek proposals to establish two new schools, one on the west of the city to replace Millbrook Community School and one on the east of the city to replace Grove Park Business and Enterprise College and Woolston School Language College. The notice was in the form required by Section 66 of the Education Act 2005 (“the Act”). Within four months of the publication of this notice, the commissioner received three proposals for the New School West and four proposals for New School East. The commissioner published a summary of each of the proposals on 16th April 2007 together with statutory proposals under s.28 of the School Standards & Frameworks Act 1998 for the discontinuance of the closing schools and to make prescribed alterations to 2 further secondary schools (Redbridge and Sholing) and held public meetings on 25th April 2007 (Oaklands), 26th April 2007 (Grove Park), 8th May 2007 (Woolston) and 10th May 2007 (Millbrook) as required by The Education (New Secondary School Proposals) (England) Regulations 2006 (“the Regulations”). A range of meetings was also held with stakeholders including staff and governors, representatives of schools councils and elected members. The above Regulations were subsequently superseded by the School Organisation (Transitional Provisions) (England) Regulations 2007, with which the commissioner has complied. Context 2. Southampton is a unitary authority in the South East.. There are 14 secondary in the City. The secondary schools are made up of two voluntary aided and twelve community schools. As explained in the report there is a significant and growing number of surplus places. Standards, although improving, are not as high as the should be.