1.            To report the outcome of the statutory consultation to expand Roecroft Community Lower School, Stotfold and to recommend approval of the proposal and commencement of the capital project.

2.            To report to the Executive the implications arising from the 2014/15 refresh of the Council’s School Organisation Plan and New School Places programme.

3.            To seek Executive support for proposed consultations to provide new Lower School places in Leighton Buzzard from September 2015.

4.            To provide the Executive with advice on new area guidelines published by the Education Funding Agency on behalf of the Department for Education for mainstream school buildings and grounds for all age ranges from 4 to 19, and also advice on the Council’s School’s Sustainable Design Brief.

1.      (i)           That the procedures established by The Education and Inspections Act 2006 (EIA 2006) and The School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2013, have been complied with in bringing forward the proposal to expand Roecroft Community Lower School, Stotfold as outlined in paragraph 17 in the report and in the legal implications section of the report.

(ii)          That no representations were received in respect of the proposal to expand Roecroft Community Lower School and the statutory notice as set out in Appendix A to the report, issued on the 13 October 2014 under Section 19(1), of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 be confirmed.

(iii)         That the statutory proposal to expand Roecroft Community Lower School, Stotfold from its current capacity of 300 places to provide a total of 450 places with an implementation date of 1 September 2015 be approved, thereby approving the commencement of the project and related expenditure, subject to the grant of planning permission under Part 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 by 1 July 2015.

2.      That the proposed commencement of consultations by the Governing Bodies of Leedon Community Lower School and Clipstone Brook Community Lower School to permanently expand each school from 1 September 2015 be approved.  Each school will also be invited to prepare a business case which will be subject to approval by the Council’s Executive in its decision to approve the proposals in March 2015.

3.      That the implications for the Council’s Capital Programme arising from the 2014/15 refresh of the Council’s School Organisation Plan and New School Places programme be taken into account.

4.      That the use of EFA Building Bulletin 103 Area Guidelines for Mainstream Schools and the Council’s School’s Sustainable Design Brief as guidance in creating future design briefs for new school buildings, school refurbishment or conversion projects, be noted.