Cabinet

19 April 200489

The Outcome of Consultations with Windlestone Hall School

Joint Report of Keith Mitchell, Director of Education and Andrew North, Deputy Chief Executive (Corporate Services)

Purpose of the Report

1 To present the outcomes of consultations with Governors, staff and parents at Windlestone Hall School on the proposal to build a new school on an alternative site and to recommend the next steps.

Background

2 Windlestone Hall School is located adjacent to the A689 Road leading from to . The school provides accommodation and educational facilities for pupils with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD) (both boys and girls) between the ages of 11-16 years and admits pupils from across the County.

3 The existing building was constructed in 1835 and was developed as a school in 1958. Windlestone Hall is a Listed building (Grade II). The “Listed” designation results in a number of both building-related and site-related implications, many of which have significant financial considerations for the school and the LEA. It also places considerable restrictions on what is possible in terms of development on the site.

4 Between August 2000 and February 2001 a review of SEN and EBD provision was undertaken. The outcome was to propose the re-location of the school in new premises on a preferred alternative site.

5 Cabinet agreed that consultation should begin on the proposal to provide a new Windlestone Hall School with 60 places for mixed EBD pupils aged 11- 16, including 20 residential places at a preferred alternative site.

6 A bid was submitted to DfES for Target Capital Funding, however, in March 2002 we learned that the bid had been unsuccessful. The consultation process, therefore, did not begin as a result of this. A further bid was submitted in January 2003 and notification received in May 2003 that this bid was successful.

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7 Consultation took place between September 2003 and December 2003. Outcomes of this consultation are included in this report.

8 Cabinet agreed the recommendations in the report presented on 19 March to request additional funding for a new Windlestone Hall School. Full funding is now in place for the new school.

Outcomes of Consultation

9 A meeting was held with Governors on 16 September 2003. At that meeting Governors requested more information on the reason for choosing Blue House Farm, Chilton as the preferred site and asked that a further Governors meeting be held once that information was available (attached as Annex 1). A further meeting with Governors was held on 30 September 2003. Responses from the Governors are included in the minutes of the meeting which resolved:

(a) THAT the Governing body supports the LEA’s intention (subject to planning approval) to re-locate the school to the Chilton Blue House Farm Site.

(b) THAT the LEA be asked to make available for all interested parties, a comprehensive summary of all the issues relating to the new school to include current accommodation difficulties, reasons for identifying the Chilton Blue Farm Site and educational benefits.

(c) THAT a Working Party be established in order to prepare (with Officer assistance if necessary) responses to questions/issues raised by the local community which are within the Governing Body’s remit.

10 A staff meeting was held on 3 October 2003. Staff asked questions relating to the design of the new building and the outcome was very supportive of the need for a new school. A display of information on the design of the proposed new school is scheduled for April once detailed plans are available.

11 A letter was sent to parents on 8 December 2003 asking for responses to be submitted by 19 December 2003 (copy attached as Annex 2).

12 No written responses have been received as a result of this first period of consultation.

Recommendation

13 Cabinet is asked to consider the responses to consultation and issue the approval of proceeding to the next stage of consultation. In that case, Public Notices would be prepared and displayed in accordance with statutory procedures.

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Background Papers

Cabinet 18 December 2001 – Joint Report of Director of Education and Director of Corporate and Legal Services.

Cabinet 19 March 2003 – Additional Funding for the New Windlestone Hall School.

Contact: Sheila Palmerley Ext: 3281 SP/PP/ALA/MARCH6 - 3 -

Appendix 1: Implications

Finance

The funding for the new school will come from DfES Target Capital Funding allocation and Modernisation Budget.

Staffing

None.

Equal opportunities

None.

Accommodation

New build 60 place school with 20 residential places.

Crime and disorder

None.

Environment

None.

Human rights

None.

Localities

None.

Young people

The opportunities and quality of education available to young people with EBD will be considerably enhanced by this proposal.

Consultation

The proposal has already been the subject of formal consultation with the Governing Body, staff and parents. The next phase of consultation will follow the statutory requirements in respect of Public Notice.

Raising Standards

Improved accommodation would help the school to provide a broader range of curriculum, a greater variety of teacher and learning approaches and new accredited courses and thus raise standards.

ANNEX 1

WINDLESTONE HALL - PROPOSED TRANSFER Briefing Paper

SEN Provision at Windlestone Hall

The school provides accommodation and educational facilities for pupils with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD) between the ages of 11-16 years. At September 2003 there were 64 pupils on roll plus pupils who attend the school to access the SNAP (20 pupils) and Stepping Stones Programmes (4 pupils)

Presently 44% of the pupils live within 5 miles of Chilton, 56% within 8 mile and 72% within 12 miles.

In 1983 Windlestone Hall School was re-designated as a school for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties. At this time the LEA sought and attained DFE approval to establish a school to cater for 60 maladjusted pupils ranging from 8-16 years of age. In practice the school has normally only catered for secondary aged pupils (11-16 years), and in recent years the pupil population has been restricted to boys.

The LEA’s special educational needs strategic plan, called All Together Better , intends to develop the role of all special schools throughout the County. This will involve special schools developing outreach and support services capable of working with mainstream schools to develop the capacity to cater for a wider range of special educational needs and to subsequently reduce the high and escalating levels of demand for such specialist provision. This will have the benefit of keeping pupils within their own local communities as far as possible. In the case of Windlestone Hall, such outreach provision will build upon the two alternative curricular provisions (SNAP and Stepping Stones) that it already provides on behalf of the Durham LEA.

The present proposals for these communities of schools will link Windlestone Hall School to schools in Bishop Auckland, , Aycliffe and areas. Relocating Windlestone Hall School onto the Blue House Farm site will offer the major benefits of a strategic location mid way between several comprehensive schools in the area because of this central location and the benefits of good communication routes that run in both a north to south and an east to west direction.

Reason for the Proposed Transfer

The existing building was constructed in 1835 and was first developed as a school in 1958. It is a listed building (Grade II*) and is located in a Historic Parkland. The ‘Listed*’ designation results in a number of building-related implications, many of which have significant financial considerations for the school and LEA and prevents significant new development of the site. The current buildings were not designed to provide facilities for a 21 st Century Education. Consultation with Governors and staff during November 2000 on Phase 2 of the LEA’s SEN review indicated clear support for the proposal to re-locate the school in new buildings. The re-location of the school has been a high priority for the LEA due to the condition of the building and the LEA has been keen to allocate funds and seek funding from DfES for this project.

The LEA feel strongly that any re-location can only take place if the high educational standards and provision currently being made are able to be maintained. For example, this would entail continuity of the present curriculum, including rural science and vocational experiences provided by the on site farm.

Funding

An application was made to DfES for Target Capital Funding for this project in 2002. Unfortunately, the application was unsuccessful however a further submission was made the following year which was successful. We were notified in May 2003 that the sum of £3,888,000 would be allocated to this project. A further sum of £1,272,000 would be allocated from the County Council Modernisation budget, giving a total of £5,160,000 .

Site Appraisal

A number of sites were investigated :

1. Chilton Blue House Farm, County Farm Site – Good location, large flat site in County Council ownership with good access. Consultation on planning issues suggests planning permission could be granted. The site is in the central corridor of the County and is easily accessible for pupils from all parts of the County. Existing staff at the school could transfer to the new school which would be of benefit to the pupils’continued education. This site is within easy travelling distance to the local Comprehensive schools that the school has links with through the SEN strategy – 1 st Choice. 2. Chilton Reclamation Site – Possibility, access concerns. 3. Leeholme – Reasonable, but access concerns. 4. Middridge County Farm – Too far from Centre of . 5. Eldon Blackie Boy – Close to other SEN provision. 6. Chilton Junior School/Chilton Infant School – Not feasible due to the potential incompatibility of users and the likely limits of development on existing playing fields. 7. Woodham Comprehensive School –Insufficient space to provide buildings and playing fields for both Woodham and Windlestone pupils. 8. Station/Chilton County Farm – Planning permission could be difficult. 9. Ferryhill Brooms Primary – Reasonable, but other users on the site – pupils, parents, staff of Primary school. 10. Ferryhill Comprehensive School – Insufficient space to provide buildings and playing fields for both Ferryhill and Windlestone pupils. 11. Green Lane – Close to existing EBD provision (Meadows). 12. Spennymoor Farm – Close to existing EBD provision (Meadows). 13. Tudhoe Grange Comprehensive School – Insufficient space to provide buildings and playing fields for both Tudhoe Grange and Windlestone pupils. 14. Middlestone Moor Primary School - Other users on the site – pupils, parents, staff of Primary school.

Windlestone Hall Site – This would have been the preferred site for a new build, however Windlestone Hall is a Grade II* listed building within parkland that is included on English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest which are of national importance. Policies in the County Structure Plan and

Sedgefield Borough Local Plan seek to ensure that such areas are conserved or enhanced when development proposals are being considered. Having regard to these designations, policies and planning guidance and the detailed involvement of organisations like English Heritage, it would be extremely difficult to justify a new build school within the existing County Council owned site. Advice was given against trying to obtain planning permission for a new school on the site.

Cabinet Reports and Statutory Procedures

August 2000 – A review of SEN and EBD provision highlighted that the complementary programmes, SNAP and Include had been established and these developments have helped the overall education provision for SEN pupils. The review also highlighted the necessity to review the future of Windlestone Hall in light of the high costs required to repair and maintain the existing building.

February 2001 – A review of SEN and EBD provision (Phase 2) highlighted the fact that the Governors and Staff at Windlestone Hall welcomed the review and the proposal to re-locate the school in new buildings.

Four sites were considered after a full site appraisal:

1. Part of existing site (not appropriate). 2. Chilton Blue House Farm, County Farm Site – 1 st Choice. 3. Chilton Reclamation Site – 2 nd Choice. 4. Leeholme Site – 3 rd Choice.

December 2001 – Windlestone Hall Proposed Transfer - Outcome (approved by cabinet) was to seek to issue a public notice for Windlestone Hall School to provide 60 places for mixed EBD pupils aged 11-16, including 20 residential places at a preferred alternative site. A bid would then be submitted for Target Capital Funding to DfES for the project. (March 2002 – Informed by DfES that bid had been unsuccessful).

January 2003 – Submitted a further bid.

May 2003 – Received notification that bid had been successful.

September 2003 – Consultation process on Proposed Transfer begins.

Issues to Consider

The original DFE designation in1983 was to provide accommodation for 60 pupils and this was carried forward in the 2001 Cabinet report. The present roll (September 2003) is 64, plus pupils who attend the very successful alternative education programmes, SNAP and Stepping Stones. Other new admissions (mid year) can reasonably be anticipated as a consequence of the outcomes of the ongoing statutory SEN assessment procedures. Windlestone has always been able to accommodate more than 60 pupils because of the size of the building. A new build school for 60 pupils may not be sufficient to provide all of the present educational activities. An increase in size will inevitably generate budget difficulties .

Any new design must also encompass the particular demands of recently introduced ‘Boarding Standards Inspection Regime.’ We should involve the relevant agency now to look at the design brief.

ANNEX 2

ED/KM/JMB/SMM 0191 383 4481 0191 386 0487 the Director

The Parents/Carers of Pupils Attending Windlestone Hall School

8 December 2003

Dear Parent/Carer

Windlestone Hall – Proposed Transfer

Durham County Council’s Cabinet has agreed that Governors, staff, local residents, parents and carers of existing students, and other interested parties should be consulted on the plan to transfer Windlestone Hall School to a new building.

As you know the present school is nearly 200 years old and was adapted for school purposes in 1958.

The existing school buildings have been “Listed” as Grade 2 by English Heritage, which means that any work to repair or improve it must be approved and comply with strict requirements. Such work is very expensive.

The current condition of the building means that considerable amounts of money need to be spent to repair it and return it to its former state. However, even with the considerable adaptation and improvement that has taken place over the years the buildings still do not provide facilities for 21st Century education. As you know, the age of the building, its rambling nature, and small classrooms make it difficult to teach the pupils in the most effective way.

It is proposed to build a new school on the site of Blue House Farm in Chilton less than 2 miles away. The new school will provide for 60 students and provide residential accommodation for up to 20 students.

As well as greatly improving the educational facilities to allow the school to further develop its curriculum for all of its students, a new purpose designed building would enable the Department of Health’s National Minimum Standards for Residential Special Schools to be more easily met.

Your views and comments on the proposal to move the school to Blue House Farm would be welcome and appreciated.

Please address any correspondence to the Director of Education, County Hall, Durham DH1 5UJ by 19 December 2003 if possible.

Yours sincerely,

Director of Education