Item: 8 Page: 27 Education & Children’s Services REPORT TO EDUCATION & CHILDREN’S SERVICES COMMITTEE – 21 MARCH 2019 LEARNING ESTATES STRATEGY: UPDATE 1 Recommendations The Committee is recommended to: 1.1 Note and comment on progress regarding the continued development of the Learning Estate (as detailed in Appendix 1). 2 Background / Discussion 2.1 Work Beyond Aberdeenshire The work of the Learning Estates Team is continuing to be recognised beyond Aberdeenshire. The Quality Improvement Manager (QIM) delivered a session at the Scottish Education Buildings Conference in November, 2018, to showcase the work of the Aberdeenshire Primary Brief. The QIM is now the lead for Sustaining Education across the Northern Alliance. This will ensure best practice will continue to be shared and sought to benefit learners, staff and communities within Aberdeenshire. 2.2 The Learning Estates Team manages and prioritises budgets for the following: • Educational enhancements • Capital projects for Education and Children’s Service (E&CS) • 1140 Early Learning and Childcare projects In May, 2018, the budgets for Improved Disabled Access and Support for Learning were also moved to the Learning Estates Team. 2.3 The temporary accommodation review and implementation is continuing; a briefing is also provided in Appendix 2. This is in accordance with the strategic principles as set out by the Learning Estates Board: • Restricting the use of temporary accommodation to the solution of short-term capacity problems. • Phasing out the use of existing temporary accommodation as soon as is reasonably possible. 2.4 Priorities for 2019/20 Officers are currently focussing on the priority areas discussed below in 2.5 – 2.14. Projects not currently in the Capital Plan will be subject to a robust business scoring programme to ensure that they are justifiable against wider corporate priorities. All projects progressed during this period will endeavour to reduce the E&CS impact on the Carbon Budget. Item: 8 Page: 28 2.5 Developing A Strategic Approach To The Learning Estate Aberdeenshire Council is undertaking a review of the Learning Estate. This is a holistic approach focussing on a geographical area/cluster basis. All schools are being assessed against a range of factors, including educational, school roll, community planning, building, rural sustainability and staffing arrangement factors. A briefing has been given to all area committees, and senior officers have met with Parent Council Chairs across Aberdeenshire. Community engagement is being planned for 2019. 2.6 Aberdeenshire-Wide Priorities - Education • Analysis of new Suitability Core Facts and reports provided for each area. • A review of Secondary Capacities – to be in line with Primary Schools, incorporating temporary accommodation into the published capacities. • The creation of a briefing document to ensure a strategic approach to accessibility. • Continuation of Skype telephony roll-out. • Audit of provision in Enhanced Provision and Community Resource Hubs by ASPECTS. 2.7 Inverurie Community Campus The works are progressing to timescale and the Community Campus is due to open in March, 2020. 2.8 Peterhead Community Campus • Work has been furthered with other Services to look at Peterhead from a Place Based Review process, which considers Peterhead holistically through a master planning approach. There is a Peterhead Master Planning Board. • Full Council agreed to include this project in the Capital Plan. The timescale for construction and delivery is 2023-2025. • Public Engagement took place in February and March, 2019, to seek further involvement from the community on the options being considered. • Progress through to the next gateway stage. • Regular stakeholder group meetings to be held. 2.9 Fraserburgh Network • Following on from an extended series of public engagement sessions spanning 2014-2018, in order to develop the options further, Architecture and Design Scotland supported work with the local community. This identified town-wide priorities in a One Community, holistic approach, using the principles of Place Based Review. Educationally, it is recognised that the suitability and condition of the current learning estate in Fraserburgh town and subsequent educational Item: 8 Page: 29 benefit needs to remain as the driver. The holistic approach will also aim to deliver the required enhancement to deliver 1140 hours within the Early Learning and Childcare expansion plans. • A business case has been developed, assessing the impact of the emerging options. • Further engagement will take place with the wider community upon confirmation of a funding stream to deliver the project. 2.10 Newmachar School Options are being explored to expand the core facility and meet the needs of 1140. 2.11 Secondary and Primary School Enhancements • The Gordon Schools, Huntly - a programme of works will take place to enhance the external courtyard, known locally as the Brunton area, to improve social, breakout and learning experiences at the academy. • Banchory Academy - the pool hall and changing rooms, once vacated, will be converted to create additional dining and social space whilst providing enough flexibility that the space can also be used as a timetabled learning space and library space. The area should also allow for free use by pupils and staff for small group work or self-study. Good practice learned from the development of the learning plaza spaces at other Aberdeenshire secondaries will be incorporated into the design, using a variety of furniture and floor coverings to create flexibility. • Fraserburgh Academy – work is progressing to accommodate subjects currently taught within the Academy Annexe building into the main campus by refurbishing existing space. Construction is expected to commence in June, 2019, with a second phase of work to upgrade Home Economics in Summer, 2020. Upon completion of the phase 1 work, Fraserburgh Academy will become a single site school. • Turriff Academy – a whole school assessment has been carried out to develop a phased programme of improvements to the academy. Officers are developing a prioritised programme of work to be delivered, including identifying available budgets. • Old Rayne School – a one class extension at Old Rayne School. Due to a rising roll and existing capacity issues, there is a requirement for additional teaching space and toilet. Construction is expected to start in Spring, 2019. • Hillside School - provision of 4 extra classrooms at Hillside School to accommodate a rising pupil roll was agreed at Kincardine and Mearns Area Committee in November, 2018. The extension is anticipated to be operational by August, 2020. • Premnay School – due to a rising roll and current temporary accommodation offering limited educational opportunities, a one class extension is required, with temporary accommodation being removed after completion. Officers are currently assessing options and finalising a business case. Item: 8 Page: 30 2.12 Early Learning and Childcare 1140 Delivery • Following on from the 1140 programme tender exercise, the overall programme of works to enhance and/or expand local authority provision will commence from Summer, 2019, and continue throughout 2020. The programme of works will include new-build Nursery provision in Peterhead, Portlethen, Stonehaven and Insch, alongside large-scale refurbishment projects in Ellon and Westhill. • Gordon Primary School - Contract for the new-build Nursery is out for tender and the project is targeted for completion in December, 2019. It will be operational by Spring, 2019. • Portlethen Primary School - Refurbished and expanded Nursery provision due to open for August, 2019. 2.13 Live Life Aberdeenshire The following have been identified as priorities for 2019/20: • Agree an Outdoor Facilities Strategy that makes best use of our open spaces for the promotion of healthy living and visitor attraction. • Develop innovative approaches to management of outdoor spaces in Peterhead and Portlethen. • Development of a Live Life Aberdeenshire Asset strategy. • Open Banchory Sports Village, a major sport and physical activity development, to the public during the summer of 2019. 2.14 Capital Projects Work continues on a range of capital projects across Education & Children’s Services. Capital Project Overview and Timescale Current Projects – New Builds Facility Opening Gordon Primary School Nursery January, 2020 Banchory Community and Sports Summer, 2019 Facility Inverurie Community Campus March, 2020 Current Projects – Extensions Facility Start Completion Date Old Rayne School April, August, 2019 2019 Hillside School TBC TBC Ellon Primary School 29 April, 18 October 2019 Kitchen 2019 Portlethen Primary May, August, 2019 School Nursery 2019 Item: 8 Page: 31 2.15 The Head of Finance and Monitoring Officer within Business Services have been consulted in the preparation of this report and their observations have been incorporated in the report. They are satisfied that the report complies with the Scheme of Governance and relevant legislation. 3 Scheme of Governance 3.1 The Committee is able to consider and take a decision on this item in terms of Section E7.1.2 of the List of Committee Powers in Part 2A of the Scheme of Governance, as it relates to receiving an annual report of Education-related activity. 4 Implications and Risk 4.1 An equality impact assessment is not required because this report is providing updates to existing projects and is not changing policy. Equality impact assessments are carried out for