Final Our School Estate The present and the future A strategy for Buckinghamshire 2008-2011 1 Final Introduction This strategy document seeks to initiate and build a discussion with key stakeholders about the future of our school estate in Buckinghamshire. It is a core document to support our approach to Building Schools for the Future (BSF) and the Primary Capital Programme(PCP). It links to our recently consulted upon Framework for Early Years and School Place planning. The Vision of the Children and Young People’s Trust In Buckinghamshire we want all our children and young people to have the best start in life and to be able to lead safe, healthy and fulfilling lives, and to be able to make a positive contribution to their communities and to society. We will ensure access to a range of universal services as well as developing more targeted services to meet their specialist needs Vision for the School Estate In supporting the implementation of our overall vision for children and young people we are proposing a vision for our school estate “It is our vision to establish a School Estate across Buckinghamshire which: enables children and young people to: • participate in and benefit from a 21 st Century curriculum; • achieve their potential; • have an environment that promotes improved outcomes (healthy, safe, educational and economic); and • enables those who are under-achieving in comparison with their peers to achieve better outcomes. enables schools to: • deliver an innovative and excellent curriculum which meets the needs of their pupils and, where appropriate, close the gap between those achieving and those who are not; • meet the statutory health and safety and other regulatory requirements including appropriate Building Bulletin requirements; and • use their facilities flexibly to meet pupil and community needs more effectively through extended services. enables the local authority to: 2 Final • close the gap between those children and young people achieving well and those who are not; • have a fit for purpose schools estate; • support the effective implementation of Building Schools for the future and Primary Capital Programme; • use resources to tackle under-achievement; and • use resources on an “invest to save principle”. Action Plan Action 1 Communicating the Vision This document and vision will be communicated with all relevant stakeholders. Context 1. Demographic change Buckinghamshire is changing as a County with significant areas of growth in Aylesbury Vale and reducing child populations in the south of the County. This demographic shift requires the County Council to take a strategic view over the school estate as a whole. The County’s Principles for School Place Planning set out the approach to ensure sufficiency of school places. Demographic change does give opportunities to consider developer contributions and mergers, amalgamations and federations The LA position The LA is building a sound basis for school place planning and a greater understanding of demographic change within the County. We need to move further on implementing the school place planning approach to ensure that it has appropriate synergies with this core document. Action Plan Action 2: Planning for Demographic Change To consider how we strategically use demographic changes to support the development of our school estate? 2. Asset Management planning The County Council established an Asset Management Plan for Education in 2000. It was updated in 2003/4. The plan states that: 3 Final “Buckinghamshire Local Education Authority supports the principle of Asset Management Planning for school premises, and is committed to establishing a process which is open, transparent, objective and fair. In line with national guidelines Buckinghamshire's AMP categorises the investment needs of school premises in terms of their Sufficiency, Suitability, and Condition. Sufficiency: This focuses on the quantity and organisation of pupil places within and across schools in relation to demand Suitability: This focuses on the quality of premises to meet curriculum, management, and other issues, which may impact on raising educational standards Condition: This focuses on 'fitness and purpose' and the physical state of premises to ensure safe and continuous operation ”” The LA Position AMP is not sufficiently robust in terms of our school estate and needs to be updated as part of the process for this strategy Action Plan Action 3; Asset Management Planning The present system is not seen by some as open, transparent, objective and fair. How can the system be improved? How can asset management planning be improved for the school estate to enable us to achieve our vision? How should we implement asset management planning for BSF and PCP? 3. Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Buckinghamshire is in wave E of BSF which seeks “to transform the secondary school estate. It aims to change the educational experience for pupils and teachers and to increase opportunities for life-long learning for the wider community ”. The County Council has been involved in the development of a “one school pathfinder” at Cressex School and has learnt a number of lessons from that programme. The County Council with its schools needs to begin to prepare and strategically plan for BSF. The DCSF has issued guidance to support LA’s where the programme is still relatively distant. This 4 Final guidance includes 10 principles for sound investment and is attached at Appendix 1. The LA position The LA is keen to establish the Vision for Change required for BSF at the earliest opportunity. This will enable strategic choices to be made more effectively in the short term for our secondary school estate. Action Plan Action 4; Building Schools for the Future Ensure the consideration of the 10 principles for sound investment as a basis for planning in Buckinghamshire 4. Primary Capital Programme (PCP) The DCSF set out the detail of the Primary Capital Programme. It will support the delivery of the Children’s plan by: • creating primary schools equipped for 21 st century learning, at the heart of the community, with a range of children’s services in reach of every family; • delivering a strategic approach to capital investment - supporting national policy aims, delivering world class standards, access to joined-up services for children and families; and addressing local needs and priorities; • rebuilding, remodelling or refurbishing at least half of all primary schools, including rebuilding or taking out of use at least 5 per cent of school buildings in the worst physical condition (higher for the most deprived communities); • focusing resources on deprivation nationally and in every authority; and • reconfiguring the primary capital stock to account for demographic change. Capital Investment in primary schools needs to be considered in the light of the Primary Capital Programme. Information for the programme needs to be submitted by mid 2008. The guidance on investment set out in Appendix 2 may be relevant 5 Final The LA position The LA is working to complete the required work on the PCP in 2008 and is keen to work with partners to determine priorities Action Plan Action 5: Primary Capital Programme We will ensure appropriate plans are in place for the primary capital programme 5. Sustainable Schools The County Council is very supportive of encouraging the sustainable schools agenda. The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) Sustainable Schools strategy comprises eight sustainability ‘doorways’; each plays a role in the major areas of school life – the curriculum, campus and community. Schools can come into sustainability via any of the doorways and every one provides further opportunities for organisations to get involved. For this strategy two doorways are seen as key • Energy and water • Buildings and grounds Energy and water The rising demand for energy and water across the planet is storing up problems for future generations. Eco-efficiency measures can help schools to reduce their environmental impact. By reducing the amount of energy and water they use schools can benefit from real cost savings. Money saved on energy and water can be channeled back into the school to improve the quality of the children’s surroundings. Sustainable Schools can showcase energy efficiency, renewable energy use and water conservation to pupils and the whole community Buildings and grounds The design and management of the school estate affect its environmental performance and its ability to help pupils learn sustainable living. A well designed and cared for school provides an excellent teaching and learning resource for staff and pupils. Sustainable design principles, sustainable technologies, sustainable interior furnishings and sustainable environmental management provide working examples of sustainable living, benefiting pupils’ well- being and behaviour. 6 Final The LA position The LA is keen to support the development of sustainable schools. New schools will be required to be built in a sustainable manner and meet the agreed national standards. Extensions and partial redevelopments will also be built in a sustainable manner. Approaches to develop energy efficiency e.g. Changing oil boilers to wood burners will be encouraged 6. External Placement costs Buckinghamshire County Council funds external placements for children with a range of needs to the value of £14 million per annum. The principle of invest to spend less later could underpin the development of our school estate. By freeing up resource spent on external placements and re-providing locally pressures on DSG could be minimised. The LA position The LA in line with its SEN strategy is keen to reduce the number of external placements where local placements could meet individual children’s needs more appropriately and effectively 7. Financial Challenges The only way to achieve our vision for the school estate is to ensure the most efficient use of our limited joint resources. The funding of work on the school estate is delivered through a number of mechanisms. These mechanisms need to link together effectively to ensure that the school estate is maintained and developed appropriately across the County.