SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL Cabinet Report 9 Report of: Sonia Sharp ______________________________________________________________ th Date: 8 December 2010 ______________________________________________________________ Subject: Strategy for Expanding Primary School Places: Final Decision ______________________________________________________________ Author of Report: Joel Hardwick Tel 0114 2735476 ___________________________________________________________________ Summary: The purpose of this report is to inform Cabinet of representations (objections or comments) received in response to the publication of statutory legal th notices on 17 September 2010. The report then seeks final approval for the proposals to expand the 11 schools listed in the report. ___________________________________________________________________ Reasons for Recommendations: Providing sufficient primary school places is essential to the City of Opportunity priority to raise attainment and aspirations, and is a statutory duty of the Council. This will mean that all Sheffield children reaching primary school age in 2011 and beyond will continue to have a school place in the area of the city in which they live. Recommendations: i) Give final approval for the implementation of the proposals to expand 11 primary schools across 6 areas of the city. Background Papers: th Cabinet Report: Strategy for Expanding Primary School Places - 12 May 2010 Cabinet Report: Strategy for Expanding Primary School Places: Consultation th Outcome - 8 September 2010 Category of Report: OPEN - 1 - Statutory and Council Policy Checklist Financial Implications YES Cleared by: Allan Rainford Legal Implications YES Cleared by: Nadine Wynter Equality of Opportunity Implications YES Cleared by: Bashir Khan Tackling Health Inequalities Implications N/A Human rights Implications N/A Environmental and Sustainability implications N/A Economic impact N/A Community safety implications N/A Human resources implications N/A Property implications YES Area(s) affected Meersbrook: South; Mosborough: South East; Netherthorpe: Central; South: South, South West; South West: South, South West, Central; Southey: North East Relevant Cabinet Portfolio Leader Cllr Colin Ross Relevant Scrutiny Committee if decision called in Children and Young People’s Is the item a matter which is reserved for approval by the City Council? NO Press release YES - 2 - Strategy for Expanding Primary School Places: Final Decision 1. Summary 1.1 The purpose of this report is to inform Cabinet of the responses (objections or th comments) to the publication of statutory legal notices on 17 September 2010. Across the eight proposals requiring legal notices, two representations against the proposals were received. One representation related to the proposal to expand Westways Primary School and one related to Abbey Lane Primary School. A copy of the representations can be found in Appendix 3. The notices were published in the Sheffield Telegraph, at the entrances of all the schools included in the programme that required a legal notice (Abbeydale Primary, Abbey Lane Primary, Lowedges Primary, Lowfield Primary, Mosborough Primary, Mundella Primary, Walkley Primary and Westways Primary Schools), the Library and the Children’s Centre local to each school. In addition, the Notice and Prescribed Information was circulated to the individual Chair of Governors and the Headteachers of each school to make available to parents and anyone else requiring copies. The report also seeks final approval for the proposal to expand all 11 schools listed in the table below. 1.2 These expansions are vital if local children are going to be able to access a place at the primary school within their community. 1.3 The temporary expansions at both Greystones and Longley will be monitored and reviewed by 2011/12 to find a permanent solution, as required. 2. What this means for Sheffield people 2.1 Providing sufficient primary school places is essential to the City of Opportunity priority to raise attainment and aspirations and is a statutory duty of the Council. 2.2 This will mean that all Sheffield children reaching primary school age in 2011 and beyond will continue to have a school place in the area of the city in which they live. Access to a good local school is the driving principle behind the organisation of Sheffield’s schools. It encourages stronger communities through friendships between both children and parents and enables families to access support services based in their locality from the school or children’s centre. 2.3 Providing children with a primary school place within their own community and catchment area supports the council’s vision of healthy practice in schools by encouraging families to walk to and from school. Support will be provided to each school to develop their School Travel Plan further and promote measures and initiatives encouraging healthy and safe travel. - 3 - 2.4 The programme is rooted within a school improvement framework working to raise attainment and aspiration and aims to: • Provide parents with a choice of good schools of the right size and age range, and in the right place to meet community needs. • Develop plans for school organisation that support school improvement and raising standards in all the areas of need. • Engage with partners to exploit the opportunity to provide transformational learning projects. 2.5 Include effective parental and community engagement empowering people to participate in an open, honest and transparent process. 3. Outcome and Sustainability 3.1 The outcome of this report would be the implementation of plans developed to provide additional places at 11 primary schools in response to an increase in birth rates and related demand for primary school places in 6 areas of the city from 2011/12 academic year. The capital costs of the programme will be resourced from additional funding secured from government to create additional places. 4. Background 4.1 A report was presented to Cabinet in May 2010 setting out the key issues, options appraisal and strategy to respond to an increase in birth rates and subsequent further demand for primary school places in 6 areas of the city from September 2011. The report requested permission to consult with key stakeholders on those proposals. 4.2 Consultation took place in the Summer Term 2010 on the proposals to provide additional places at 11 primary schools. th 4.3 The outcome of the consultation was reported on 8 September 2010 and permission was granted to pursue the following recommendations: (a) In the light of information in the report now submitted and of the original report submitted to Cabinet on 12th May, 2010, requests that all necessary further steps schools across the City and that a further paper reporting on representations be submitted to Cabinet for final approval in December, 2010; and (b) Authorises the preparation of detailed design plans for all eleven sites included in the proposal 4.4 The Education and Inspections Act 2006, abolished all School Organisation Committees with effect from 26 May 2007 and provided instead that proposals - 4 - be decided by “the relevant authority” (i.e. the Local Authority which maintains or would maintain the school). 5. Current Position 5.1 The table below details the proposed 11 primary school expansions: Area School Proposal Places Added Per Year School Total Netherthorpe Walkley Expand Walkley Primary 20 140 school from 40 places per year group to 60 places per year group. Westways Expand Westways Primary 30 210 School from 60 places per year group to 90 places per year group. Meersbrook Mundella Expand Mundella Primary 20 140 School from 40 places per year group to 60 places per year group. Carfield Expand Carfield Primary 15 105 School from 75 places per year group to 90 places per year group. South Abbey Lane Expand Abbey Lane 35 245 Primary School from 55 places per year group to 90 places per year group. Lowedges Expand Lowedges Primary 30 210 School from 30 places per year group to 60 places per year group. Southey Longley Temporarily Expand 30 90 Longley Primary School from 60 places per year group to 90 places per year group. Mosborough Mosborough Expand Mosborough 15 105 Primary School from 45 places per year group to 60 places per year group. South West Abbeydale Expand Abbeydale Primary 15 105 School from 45 places per year group to 60 places per year group. Greystones Temporarily Expand 30 90 Greystones Primary School from 60 places per year group to 90 places per year group for 3 years. Lowfield Expand Lowfield Primary 15 105 School from 45 places per year group to 60 places per year group. Total 255 1,545 - 5 - th 5.2 A legal notice (Appendix 1) was published on 17 September 2010 listing the proposals to expand 8 primary schools from 2011/12 academic year. The 3 remaining primary schools included in the programme (Carfield Primary, Greystones Primary and Longley Primary) do not require the publication of a statutory notice under school organisation legislation. A request to the schools adjudicator for an in-year variation to the admission arrangements will be made (subject to Cabinet approval) in respect of these schools to confirm the change. 5.3 During the four-week period two representations against the proposals were received. A copy of the representations can be found in Appendix 3. The representation relating to Westways Primary School repeated issues that arose during consultation regarding the impact of the proposal on the school site and specifically the space available to Westways After School Club. The space being allocated to Westways After School Club in their new location does show an increased floor area compared to their current space. For this reason we do not expect the After School Club to have to reduce the number of children it caters for. The space being offered to the club is not within either the Nursery or Foundation Stage classrooms and pupils will not be expected to remain in the same classroom for the duration of the school and after school club day. The representation relating to Abbey Lane Primary School also repeated issues from the original consultation around the size of the site and traffic and transport issues.