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Agenda Item No: 6 Cabinet Meeting 4 December 2013
Report Title Final Decision regarding the 2014 Primary School Expansion Programme
Decision designation AMBER
Cabinet member with Councillor Philip Page lead responsibility Schools, Skills and Learning
Key decision Yes
In forward plan Yes
Wards affected All
Accountable director Tim Johnson, Education and Enterprise
Originating service Pupil and Student Services
Accountable employee(s) William Hague Strategic Lead – Pupil and Student Services Tel 01902 556943 Email bill.hague@wolverhampton.gov.uk Report to be/has been Not applicable considered by
Recommendation(s) for action or decision:
The Cabinet is recommended to:
1. Formally consider the outcomes of Informal Consultation and Formal Consultation on the proposed expansions of Dunstall Hill Primary School, Fallings Park Primary School and Trinity Church of England (CE) Primary School in accordance with statutory guidance.
2. Approve the prescribed alteration to Dunstall Hill Primary School in accordance with Section 19 (1) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
3. Approve the prescribed alteration to Fallings Park Primary School in accordance with Section 19 (1) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
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4. Approve the prescribed alteration to Trinity CE Primary School in accordance with Section 19 (1) of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
5. Approve in principle the appropriation of open space at Glentworth Gardens required for the proposed expansion of Dunstall Hill Primary School subject to the grant of planning permission.
Recommendations for noting:
The Cabinet is asked to note:
1. The outcome of public consultation on the proposed change of land use at Glentworth Gardens to support the proposed expansion of Dunstall Hill Primary School.
2. That as part of the agreed funding strategy, Wolverhampton Schools‟ Improvement Partnership Board was asked to support the proposed use of schools‟ delegated Dedicated School Grant to meet the revenue costs of prudential borrowing. Wolverhampton Schools‟ Improvement Partnership Board voted not to support this proposal.
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1.0 Purpose
1.1 To formally consider the outcomes of Informal Consultation and Formal Consultation on the proposed expansions of Dunstall Hill Primary School, Fallings Park Primary School and Trinity Church of England (CE) Primary School in accordance with statutory guidance and to seek approval to implement the 2014 Primary School Expansion Programme.
1.2 To detail the outcome of public consultation on the proposed change of land use at Glentworth Gardens to support the proposed expansion scheme at Dunstall Hill Primary School.
2.0 Background
2.1 The Local authority (LA) has a statutory duty to ensure that; sufficient school places are available within their area for every child of school age whose parents wish them to have one, to promote high educational standards, to ensure fair access to educational opportunity, and to help fulfil every child‟s educational potential. It must also ensure that there are sufficient schools in its area and promote diversity and parental choice.
2.2 Levels of demand for primary school places in Wolverhampton have increased in recent years. In order to meet demand, the Council has recently invested in the provision of a significant number of additional primary school places in areas of high demand across the City. However, projections suggest that the size of Reception cohorts will increase further in future years and that additional school places will be required.
2.3 In order to ensure that the Council continues to meet its statutory duties and that an appropriate level of parental choice is available, the introduction of additional primary school places is required.
2.4 On 19 June 2013, the Cabinet authorised commencement of statutory processes regarding the proposed expansions of Dunstall Hill Primary School, Fallings Park Primary School and Trinity (CE) Primary School. Cabinet also delegated authority to the Cabinet Member for Schools, Skills and Learning in consultation with the Strategic Director for Education and Enterprise to consider the outcome of Informal Consultation and determine whether or not to proceed to the next stage of the statutory consultation process (Formal Consultation).
2.5 The outcomes of Informal Consultation on the proposed expansion schemes were considered by the Cabinet Member for Schools, Skills and Learning in consultation with the Strategic Director for Education and Enterprise and approval was gained for commencement of Formal Consultation.
2.6 The funding strategy to support the proposed 2014 Primary School Expansion Programme was approved by Council on 6 November 2013.
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3.0 2014 Primary School Expansion Programme
3.1 The 2014 Primary School Expansion Programme proposes the introduction of 630 additional primary school places and includes the proposed expansions of Dunstall Hill Primary School, Fallings Park Primary School and Trinity CE Primary School. Statutory consultation processes in respect of each of the proposed expansion schemes have been undertaken.
3.2 Informal Consultation on each of the proposed expansion schemes commenced on 25 June 2013 and ran until 22 July 2013.
3.3 Formal Consultation on the schemes commenced on 9 October 2013 and concluded on 5 November 2013.
4.0 Dunstall Hill Primary School (St Peter’s Ward)
4.1 Dunstall Hill Primary School currently caters for up to 30 pupils in each year group. It is proposed that, with effect from September 2014, the School‟s Reception admission limit is increased to 60. Subject to approval of the proposal, future Reception intakes would also have admission limits of 60. Admission limits of 60 would continue to move through the School until 2020, when the School would be able to cater for up to 60 pupils in each year group.
4.2 Informal Consultation: Dunstall Hill Primary:
4.2.1 Over 1,700 letters and consultation response forms were distributed to the school community during the Informal Consultation period. A full list of stakeholders who were consulted is available within the Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs located within Councillors‟ rooms. In addition, please note that consultation documentation was also published online at www.wolverhamptonbsf.org.uk.
4.2.2 65 written consultation responses were received by the City Council during Informal Consultation.
Number of Respondents Respondents Respondents Respondents Responses in Favour of who Did Not who „Did Not who did not Received the Proposal Agree with the Know‟ state a Proposal preference
65 57 (87.7%) 2 (3.1%) 5 (7.7%) 1 (1.5%)
4.2.3 A number of positive comments regarding the proposal were received including:
Yes I think it‟s tremendous, and gives little children a chance to have an education…. I hope the plans go ahead (response D1 – Parent of pupils at a local Primary School)
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Our society is changing and so we need to make provision for these changes (response D4 - Parent/Carer of a pupil at Dunstall Hill Primary School) I agree with the proposal to expand the school because if one of my children is going to school I would like my other child to go to the same school (response D10 –Pupil and Parent/Carer of a pupil at Dunstall Hill Primary School) Expansion will service the needs of local families and provide greater job opportunities (response D43 – Member of staff at Dunstall Hill Primary School). The National Association of Headteachers recognises the need for primary expansion and welcomes a strategic and considered citywide approach (response D46 – Trade Union Representative).
4.2.4 A number of concerns and considerations regarding the proposal were also raised including:
Children will not get enough time with teachers and those who are talented will be held back by such a large class. The Council should consider building another primary school to meet demand for primary places (response D8 - Parent/Carer of a pupil at Dunstall Hill Primary School) My only concern is increase in traffic on Dunstall Avenue, as parents regularly speed when collecting and dropping kids from school, have you included traffic calming measures in your expansion plan? (response D9 – Pupil at Dunstall Hill Primary School and resident) Any single or double storey buildings should be behind the School, not near the Community Centre. The staff car park should only be used for the picking up and dropping off of the children. School children entrance should be towards Glentworth Gardens and Dunstall Road (response D54 – Member of the local community).
Please note that copies of all responses received by the Council are included within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs.
4.2.5 Representatives of the School Organisation and Planning Team and Sites and Development Team attended a meeting of the Governing Body of Dunstall Primary on 27 June 2013. Notes of this meeting are included within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs.
4.2.6 Representatives of the School Organisation and Planning Team attended a School Council meeting at Dunstall Hill Primary School on 2 July 2013 (notes of this meeting are included within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs). In addition, the School Council also provided a written response to the consultation on behalf of pupils (please note this response has not been included in the figures detailed in paragraph 4.2.2 but is available to view within Councillor‟s Supporting Information Packs). The majority of pupils agreed with the proposal to expand the school. Points raised included:
Will the field next to the school be built on? Could the school be built up and not across? Too much noise from building work Bigger Hall, field, library, playground, ICT suite, woodland area? More parking, books and laptops?
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We don‟t want to share smaller spaces New children won‟t understand our rules Good because more children can get educated in a great school.
4.3 Formal Consultation: Dunstall Hill Primary:
4.3.1 Formal consultation commenced on the 9 October 2013 and ran for four weeks. The Council published a Statutory Notice in the Express and Star newspaper and distributed letters offering relevant stakeholders the opportunity to comment on or object to the proposals. In accordance with the prescribed consultation process, stakeholders were supplied with copies of the Complete Proposal and Statutory Notice (copies of which are available within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs).
4.3.2 No responses were received by the Council during Formal Consultation.
4.4 Public Consultation on the Proposed Change of Land Use at Glentworth Gardens:
4.4.1 In order to facilitate the proposed expansion of Dunstall Hill Primary School additional land would be required. Subject to final approval of the proposed expansion, it is proposed that an area of Council owned open space, adjacent and to the north of the school, be used for this purpose.
4.4.2 The Council has recently undertaken public consultation on this proposed change of land use. Public consultation commenced on 14 October 2013 and concluded on 3 November 2013. Leaflets were delivered to homes within the local area, and plans were displayed at both Dunstall Hill Community Centre and Dunstall Hill Primary School. A copy of the consultation leaflet is included within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs.
4.4.3 The Council received a limited response to public consultation on the proposed change of land use; by the end of the consultation period three responses had been received. Respondees recognised the need for additional school places but also highlighted concerns including the restriction of access to the play area and a specific concern relating to a boundary fence.
4.4.4 It should be noted that following the conclusion of the public consultation period, Council representatives have been approached by a representative of the local Community Association who has highlighted a number of concerns with regard to the proposed site layout. Identified concerns focus on traffic congestion and ensuring the safety of children. Council representatives will continue to work closely with the local community to ensure that their needs are considered.
4.4.5 It is recommended that Cabinet approve in principle the appropriation of the additional land for the proposed expansion and that details to protect the amenity and the use of the remaining open space are agreed in due course with the Strategic Director Community as the design is progressed towards the submission of a planning application.
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5.0 Fallings Park Primary School (Fallings Park Ward)
5.1 Fallings Park Primary School currently caters for up to 60 pupils in each year group. It is proposed that, with effect from September 2014, the School‟s Reception admission limit is increased to 90. Subject to approval of the proposal, future Reception intakes would also have admission limits of 90. Admission limits of 90 would continue to move through the School until 2020, when the School would be able to cater for up to 90 pupils in each year group.
5.2 Informal Consultation: Fallings Park Primary School:
5.2.1 Over 3,200 letters and consultation response forms were distributed to the school community during the Informal Consultation period. A full list of stakeholders who were consulted is available within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs. Please note that consultation documentation was also published online at www.wolverhamptonbsf.org.uk.
5.2.2 41 written consultation responses were received by the City Council during Informal Consultation.
Number of Respondents Respondents Respondents Respondents Responses in Favour of who Did Not who „Did Not who did not Received the Proposal Agree with the Know‟ state a Proposal preference
41 36 (87.8%) 1 (2.4%) 2 (4.9%) 2 (4.9%)
5.2.3 A number of positive comments regarding the proposal were received including:
A bigger school and more children would be good for Fallings Park (response F11 – Member of staff at Fallings Park Primary School) This will benefit this area as there is a lack of places for children in the area (response F18 – Member of staff at Fallings Park Primary School) It would be a good idea to extend the school to give other children a good chance to get educated because at the moment schools are overflowing and there is more children to be fitted into schools (response F21 – Parent/Carer of a pupil at Fallings Park Primary School) I agree that the school should be expanded so there are more places as my Mum has been waiting for a place for my sister for ages (response F23 – Pupil at Fallings Park Primary School) Urgent need for primary school places in the area and ongoing development of housing in Low Hill and area (response F29 – Member of the Governing Body of Whitgreave Infant School) It is a positive idea which will attract bright students as well as motivate the current students. It will improve the identity of the community (response F35 – Parent/Carer of a pupil at Fallings Park Primary School).
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5.2.4 A number of concerns and considerations regarding the proposal were also raised including:
The only concerns I have is standards dropping, as we are a good school. We need a sandwich hall separate from dining hall because we struggle now to fit everyone in. Playground might not be big enough for all years with the play equipment (response F3 – Member of staff at Fallings Park Primary School) In my opinion the school is a very good school, and adding more pupils and even having extra staff to teach them wouldn‟t be an advantage, as at the moment there doesn‟t seem to be enough teachers to teach the children that are already there, the extra money I feel would be more of an advantage spending it on extra teachers, to make the children even brighter (response F24 –Parent/Carer of a pupil at Fallings Park Primary School) I agree with the expansion but bearing in mind it‟s not just the classrooms that need expanding but also more staffroom space, more breakout room, toilets and dinner hall space to accommodate extra staff and pupils (response F37 – Member of staff at Fallings Park Primary School).
Please note that copies of all responses received by the Council are included within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs.
5.2.5 Representatives of the School Organisation and Planning Team and the Sites and Development Team attended a meeting of the Governing Body of Fallings Park Primary School on 3 July 2013. Notes of this meeting are included within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs.
5.2.6 Representatives of the School Organisation and Planning Team attended a School Council meeting at Fallings Park Primary School on 4 July 2013. Notes of this meeting are included within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs.
5.3 Formal Consultation: Fallings Park Primary:
5.3.1 Formal Consultation commenced on the 9 October 2013 and ran for four weeks. The Council published a Statutory Notice in the Express and Star newspaper and distributed letters offering relevant stakeholders the opportunity to comment on or object to the proposals. In accordance with the prescribed consultation process, stakeholders were supplied with copies of the Complete Proposal and Statutory Notice (copies of which are available within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs).
5.3.2 No responses were received by the Council during Formal Consultation.
6.0 Trinity (CE) Primary School (Heath Town Ward)
6.1 Trinity (CE) Primary School currently caters for up to 60 pupils in each year group. It is proposed that, with effect from September 2014, the School‟s Reception admission limit is increased to 90. Subject to approval of the proposal, future Reception intakes would also have admission limits of 90. Admission limits of 90 would continue to move through
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the School until 2020, when the School would be able to cater for up to 90 pupils in each year group.
6.2 Informal Consultation: Trinity CE Primary:
6.2.1 Over 2,000 letters and consultation response forms were distributed to the school community during the Informal Consultation period. A full list of stakeholders who were consulted is available within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs. Please note that consultation documentation was also published online at www.wolverhamptonbsf.org.uk.
6.2.2 30 written consultation responses were received by the City Council during Informal Consultation.
Number of Respondents Respondents Respondents Respondents Responses in Favour of who Did Not who „Did Not who did not Received the Proposal Agree with the Know‟ state a Proposal preference
30 21 (70.0%) 5 (16.7%) 3 (10.0%) 1 (3.3%)
6.2.3 A number of positive comments regarding the proposal were received including:
There is a problem with a lack of primary school places and as such it would be only beneficial to increase the class numbers and intake as long as education standards do not fall (response T1 – Member of the local community) We do agree and it is good that more pupils come to the school and by having an expanded school there can be more opportunities and children can learn more (response T8 – Pupil at Trinity CE Primary School and Parent/Carer of a pupil at Trinity CE Primary School) It will help those who are willing to send their children to Trinity Primary, but can‟t get chance (response T15 – Parent/Carer of a pupil at Trinity CE Primary School).
6.2.4 A number of concerns and considerations regarding the proposal were also raised including:
I can see that there is a real need for more primary school places in Wolverhampton and because of Trinity‟s excellent track record as a good/outstanding primary school, it makes sense to increase the size of an already successful school. However, I do feel that the L.A. must listen to the practical concerns of the staff and governors – and make sure the designs for the new classrooms take into account the need for adequate cloakroom, playground, hall, office etc. space (response T2 – Member of the Governing Body of Trinity CE Primary School) The proposed expansion will put undue pressure on the already populated school compound. Though there will be building/facility expansion but, it will all still be within the same school grounds/compound. Academic performance may be affected as it
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may be difficult for teachers to give extra help to some pupils who may be lacking a bit in their work and to cope with the various other activities they are expected to get on with. I feel other schools nearby with less population which could be expanded (response T5 – Parent/Carer of a pupil at Trinity CE Primary School) If nursery provision was being expanded then I would reconsider but there will be a class of 30 Foundation children who will not have had Trinity Nursery experience. Our Nursery is „Outstanding‟ and I would not wish for standards to drop as there will be no baseline information for the new intake (response T14 – Member of staff at Trinity CE Primary School) My concerns are what will happen with regards to parking when/and if the plans go ahead, when will the building for the extension start and what plans for more staff, will the level of standards drop for the school? (response T19 – Pupil at Trinity CE Primary School).
Please note that copies of all responses received by the Council are included within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs.
6.2.5 Representatives of the School Organisation and Planning Team and the Sites and Development Team attended a meeting of the Governing Body of Trinity (CE) Primary School on 16 July 2013. Notes of this meeting are included within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs.
6.2.6 Representatives of the School Organisation and Planning Team attended a School Council meeting at Trinity (CE) Primary School on 4 July 2013. Notes of this meeting are included within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs.
6.3 Formal Consultation: Trinity CE Primary:
6.3.1 Formal Consultation commenced on the 9 October 2013 and ran for four weeks. The Council published a Statutory Notice in the Express and Star newspaper and distributed letters offering relevant stakeholders the opportunity to comment on or object to the proposals. In accordance with the prescribed consultation process, stakeholders were supplied with copies of the Complete Proposal and Statutory Notice (copies of which are available within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Pack).
6.3.2 One response was received during Formal Consultation. The Council received a letter from the Headteacher of Trinity CE Primary School. A copy of this letter is included within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Pack. The letter outlined a number of concerns regarding the impact of the proposed expansion as identified by the School‟s Governing Body. Those concerns raised are summarised below:
The proposed model for expansion would not provide sufficient accommodation to bring all pupils together in one hall e.g. for daily worship The proposed limited access and egress points to the hall, would heavily impact into curriculum time
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The proposed size of the hall would mean that dinner times would need to be extended and this would have a significant impact on the organisation of the curriculum and the timetable The creative timetable currently available would not be able to be offered should Trinity CE Primary become a three form entry school By supporting the expansion, Governors would need to make deep rooted changes to the school curriculum and organisation that would change the School‟s ethos, aims and mission statement The access and egress of traffic and pupils on Longford Road and the surrounding area at the start and end of the day are a concern The admission of a cohort of children straight into Reception would restrict the impact of the School‟s Early Years Intervention Strategy The proposed office spaces for senior leaders, targeted intervention and support for vulnerable pupils are not sufficient.
The letter explains that the Governing Body voted upon the proposal to support the expansion and that the Governing Body voted unanimously against the proposal.
7.0 Responses to Consultation
7.1 The following comments are made in response to the outcomes of consultation:
7.1.1 Class sizes: The local authority has a duty to ensure that infant classes (i.e. Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) do not contain more than 30 pupils with a single school teacher. The pupil to teacher ratio will not be affected by these proposals.
7.1.2 School standards: The „Overall Effectiveness‟ of Dunstall Hill Primary School, Fallings Park Primary School and Trinity CE Primary School has been judged „Good‟ by Ofsted. It is recognised that changes to the structure and organisation of schools can be disruptive; Local authority representatives would support the process and school standards would continue to be monitored by representatives from the Challenge, Support and Intervention Team.
7.1.3 Traffic and parking: It is recognised that car parking on school sites is limited and that the proposed expansions would exacerbate this issue.
As part of planning applications the Council‟s Highways Team considers the impact of any proposed new build and may make some recommendations or impose certain requirements.
7.1.4 Design: In order to facilitate the proposed expansions, investment in additional classrooms, toilets, dining provision and breakout spaces would be required. The Site Development and Support Team in Education and Enterprise have worked closely with Architects in Delivery to ensure that any additional accommodation meets the needs of pupils, staff, and curriculum delivery.
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7.1.5 Nursery provision: The sufficiency of nursery provision in the vicinity of each of the schools proposed for expansion has been assessed. Given anticipated demand in the local area and the need to minimise disruption to the School, it has been determined that an expansion of Nursery provision at Trinity CE Primary School should be considered as part of the development of the scheme. However, sufficient capacity is available within nursery provision in the vicinity of Dunstall Hill Primary School and Fallings Park Primary School.
7.1.6 Playing field provision: The potential impact of any development on playing fields would be kept to a minimum and any plans would maintain adequate external space to support the curriculum with both formal team playing areas and informal social and habitat areas.
7.1.7 Delivery: In order to meet increased demand in a timely manner it is necessary to ensure that additional Reception places are provided with effect from September 2014. Whilst it is recognised that this limits preparation time, the extra places are required to meet the needs of the local communities.
7.1.8 Concerns of Trinity CE Primary School Governing Body: In light of the concerns raised by the Governing Body of Trinity CE Primary School during Formal Consultation the proposed scheme has been reviewed by senior representatives within the Schools, Skills and Learning Service.
Representatives recognise that whilst the proposed site layout is not ideal, in their professional opinion the proposed layout of the school provides adequate accommodation to successfully meet the needs of the pupils. It should be noted that the proposed design slightly exceeds the suggested areas within the Building Bulletin 99: Briefing Framework for Primary School Projects given the adaptations required to the existing accommodation. It should also be noted that the availability of alternative local schools that could be feasible expanded is severely restricted.
Representatives of Schools, Skills and Learning are continuing to work closely with both Trinity CE Primary School and the Diocese of Lichfield and are hopeful that that a positive resolution can be reached that meets the needs of both the school and the local community.
8.0 Determination of Proposals by Cabinet
8.1 In accordance with the School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2007 (as amended by The School Organisation and Governance (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2009, the Council is the decision making body that considers prescribed alterations to community and voluntary controlled schools within its area.
8.2 The proposals must be considered by the Council within two months of the end of the Representation period. If the Council fails to do this then the proposals must be forwarded to the Schools Adjudicator for a final decision to be made.
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8.3 There are a number of factors that decision makers are required to have regard to when making decisions on the proposals. Guidance issued by the Department for Education „Expanding a Maintained Mainstream School by Enlargement or Adding a Sixth Form‟ (February 2010) can be found within Councillors‟ Supporting Information Packs.
8.4 In accordance with statutory guidance, Cabinet are required to formally consider the outcomes of consultation on the proposed expansions.
8.5 There are four key issues which the Decision Maker should consider before judging the respective factors and merits of the statutory proposals:
Is any information missing? Does the published notice comply with statutory requirements? Has the statutory consultation been carried out prior to the publication of the notice? Are the proposals “related” to other published proposals?
8.6 All information pertinent to the proposal is contained in this report and the Complete Proposals. It can be confirmed that full statutory consultation has been undertaken as detailed in this report.
8.7 Part of the aforementioned guidance from the Department for Education (8.3 above) refers to „Successful and Popular‟ schools. When making a decision regarding the proposed expansion of schools there is a, “strong presumption that proposals to expand successful and popular schools should be approved”. It is considered that Dunstall Hill Primary School, Fallings Park Primary School and Trinity (CE) Primary School are classed as successful and popular schools.
8.8 There are four options available to the Council when making a decision, these are to:
Reject the proposals; Approve the proposals; Approve the proposals with a modification (e.g. the implementation date); or Approve the proposals subject to them meeting a specific condition.
8.9 Following the final decision the following bodies may appeal:
The local Church of England Diocese; The Bishop of the local Roman Catholic Diocese; Governing Bodies of Dunstall Hill Primary School, Fallings Park Primary School and Trinity (CE) Primary School.
9.0 Procurement
9.1 Subject to approval of the 2014 Primary School Expansion Programme, given the combined value of the proposed expansion schemes it is our intention to seek competitive tenders via the Birmingham City Council Construction Framework:
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Constructing West Midlands. This framework has already been through the OJEU process and will allow for a far quicker tender process. This has particular relevance given the urgent need for accommodation to support additional pupil places. In the event of the framework not being able to provide a suitable contractor, an alternative would need to be sourced and this alternative would need to conform with the relevant OJEU process. Please note that the procurement process will be carried out with support from Corporate Procurement.
10.0 Financial implications
(CF/20112013/G)
10.1 On 6 November 2013, Council approved the funding strategy for the 2014 Primary School Expansion Programme. Subject to approval by Cabinet of the 2014 Primary School Expansion Programme the funding strategy would be implemented.
10.2 The funding strategy proposed that, subject to approval by schools, that the revenue costs of prudential borrowing prior to earmarked capital receipts being realised, be met through the Dedicated School Grant (DSG). Please note that the use of schools‟ delegated DSG funding is a decision for individual schools. However, the proposed funding strategy was discussed on 8 November 2013 at a board meeting of Wolverhampton Schools‟ Improvement Partnership (WSIP). WSIP was unable to support the proposed use of schools‟ delegated DSG funding and also noted that individual schools were unlikely to support the proposed strategy.
10.3 Increasing the admission numbers of schools will have revenue budget implications (schools‟ funding for the financial year is based upon pupil numbers as at the preceding Autumn Census). Subject to approval by Schools Forum, the additional revenue costs attached to these proposals would be 100% grant funded through the DSG and therefore require no additional financial commitment from the local authority.
11.0 Legal implications
(JB/19112013/T)
11.1 The Council has a statutory responsibility to ensure that there are sufficient school places available. The Education and Inspections Act 2006 requires Local Authorities to promote choice and diversity when carrying out their strategic duties in relation to the provision of new school places.
11.2 The Education and Inspections Act 2006 requires statutory process to be followed for a proposal to enlarge school premises that would increase the capacity of a school by more than 30 pupils and by 25% or by 200 pupils (whichever is the lesser).
11.3 Any proposals to alter the structure of school provision would need to comply with the detailed provisions in the Education and Inspections Act 2006 to ensure sufficient
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consultation is undertaken and that relevant stakeholders are notified of proposals/decisions in a timely manner.
12.0 Equalities implications
12.1 An equality analysis has been undertaken for each proposed primary school expansion scheme.
13.0 Environmental implications
13.1 Any required building work arising from this proposal would be geared to promote improvements to the physical environment. Specifications for building work would ensure that any materials, site works and equipment involved follow the Council‟s Environmental Policy and the Council‟s commitment to carbon reduction.
14.0 Schedule of background papers
Council (6 November 2013) – 2014 Primary School Expansion Programme – Funding Strategy. Individual Executive Decision Notice (October 2013) – 2014 Primary School Expansion Programme – Outcome of Informal Consultation. Exempt Cabinet (Resources) Panel Report (24 September 2013) – 2014 Primary School Expansion Programme – Funding Strategy. Cabinet Report (19 June 2013) – Primary School Organisation. The Education & Inspections Act 2006. The School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2007 (as amended by The School Organisation and Governance (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2007 and The School Organisation and Governance (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2009.
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