To outline three projects within the Council’s New School Places Programme where local pressures of demographic growth require new school places to be provided from September 2016 in Biggleswade and in Silsoe and a further project to provide new school places in Stotfold with a target implementation date of September 2015.

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 proposals to expand Edward Peake Church of England (C of E) Voluntary Controlled (VC) Middle School, Biggleswade and Silsoe C of E VC Lower School as outlined in the report be confirmed.

       (ii)     That receipt of a representation in respect of the proposal to expand Silsoe C of E VC Lower School and the statutory notice as set out in Appendix A to the report, issued on the 2 June 2014 under Section 19(1), of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 be confirmed.  No representations were received in respect of the proposal to expand Edward Peake C of E VC Middle School and the statutory notice as set out in Appendix B to the report, issued on the 2 June 2014 under Section 19(1), of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

       (iii)    That the statutory proposal to expand Edward Peake C of E VC Middle School, Biggleswade from its current capacity of 480 places to provide a total of 600 places with an implementation date of September 2016 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 September 2015.

       (iv)    That the statutory proposal to expand Silsoe C of E VC Lower, Silsoe from its current capacity of 135 places to provide a total of 225 places, an 8 place SEN provision for children with behavioural Emotional and Social Difficulties and a 45 place pre school with an implementation date of 1 September 2016 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 September 2015.

2.         That the proposal to expand the Academy of Stratton Upper School in Biggleswade from its current capacity of 1250 places to provide 1650 places with a phased implementation date of 1 September 2016 be approved, thereby approving the commencement of the project and related expenditure, subject to the approval of the Education Funding Agency and the grant of planning permission under Part 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 by 1 September 2015.

3.         That the commencement of consultation and the publication of statutory notices for the proposal to permanently expand Roecroft Lower School, Stotfold from its current capacity of 300 places to provide a total of 450 places with an implementation date of September 2015 be approved.  The school will also be invited to prepare a business case which will be subject to approval by the Council’s Executive in its final determination of the proposal in December 2014.

4.         That the capital expenditure from the Council’s New School Places Programme, as indicated in Appendix D to the report, to relocate Pippin Pre School within the boundary of Roecroft Lower School, Stotfold to enable existing and future pressures on Roecroft Lower School’s accommodation to be managed be approved.

The Executive considered a report from the Executive Member for Children’s Services that outlined three projects within the Council’s New School Places Programme where local pressures of demographic growth within each school’s existing catchment area required new school places to be provided from September 2016.  This related to Edward Peake Church of England (C of E) Voluntary Controlled (VC) Middle School, Stratton Upper School in Biggleswade and Silsoe C of E VC Lower School.  A further project was also required to provide new school places in Stotfold with a target implementation date of September 2015. 

In response to questions, the Executive Member for Children’s Services noted that this programme affected the ward of Northill as well as those wards listed in the report.

Reason for decision:  To ensure the Council continued to meet its statutory obligations to provide sufficient school places and also to meet the legal requirements placed on the Council by the Education and Inspections Act 2006 regarding proposals to expand maintained schools.  Commitment to expenditure and final approval of the proposal set out in resolution 4 would be determined by the Council’s Executive in December 2014, informed by the outcome of the consultation exercises and business case which was to be prepared by the Roecroft Lower School.

RESOLVED

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 proposals to expand Edward Peake C of E VC Middle School, Biggleswade and Silsoe C of E VC Lower School as outlined in the report be confirmed;

       (ii)     that receipt of a representation in respect of the proposal to expand Silsoe C of E VC Lower School and the statutory notice as set out in Appendix A to the report, issued on the 2 June 2014 under Section 19(1), of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 be confirmed.  No representations were received in respect of the proposal to expand Edward Peake C of E VC Middle School and the statutory notice as set out in Appendix B to the report, issued on the 2 June 2014 under Section 19(1), of the Education and Inspections Act 2006;

       (iii)    that the statutory proposal to expand Edward Peake C of E VC Middle School, Biggleswade from its current capacity of 480 places to provide a total of 600 places with an implementation date of September 2016 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 September 2015;

       (iv)    that the statutory proposal to expand Silsoe C of E VC Lower, Silsoe from its current capacity of 135 places to provide a total of 225 places, an 8 place SEN provision for children with behavioural Emotional and Social Difficulties and a 45 place pre school with an implementation date of 1 September 2016 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 September 2015.

2.         that the proposal to expand the Academy of Stratton Upper School in Biggleswade from its current capacity of 1250 places to provide 1650 places with a phased implementation date of 1 September 2016 be approved, thereby approving the commencement of the project and related expenditure, subject to the approval of the Education Funding Agency and the grant of planning permission under Part 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 by 1 September 2015;

3.         that the commencement of consultation and the publication of statutory notices for the proposal to permanently expand Roecroft Lower School, Stotfold from its current capacity of 300 places to provide a total of 450 places with an implementation date of September 2015 be approved.  The school would also be invited to prepare a business case which would be subject to approval by the Council’s Executive in its final determination of the proposal in December 2014; and

4.         that the capital expenditure from the Council’s New School Places Programme, as indicated in Appendix D to the report, to relocate Pippin Pre School within the boundary of Roecroft Lower School, Stotfold to enable existing and future pressures on Roecroft Lower School’s accommodation to be managed, be approved.