Decision details

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services seeking approval to commence pre-statutory consultation commencing in September 2012 on proposals to expand Bassett Green Primary School, Bevois Town Primary School and St John’s Primary School.

Southampton is currently experiencing huge increases in the number of children requiring a school place, particularly in the centre of the City.  As such Children’s Services and Learning are putting forward proposals to expand three schools in the City Centre. 

Having complied with Rule 15 of the Council’s Access to Information Procedure Rules:

(i)  To commence 6 weeks of pre-statutory consultation in September 2012 on proposals to:

·  Increase the PAN of Bassett Green Primary School from 60 to 90 from September 2013 (the school has initially expanded for 1 year only from September 2012);

·  Increase the PAN of Bevois Town Primary School from 30 to 60 from September 2013 (the school has initially expanded for 1 year only from September 2012); and

·  Increase the PAN of St John’s Primary and Nursery School from 30 to 60 from September 2014.

(ii)  To delegate authority to the Director of Children’s Services and Learning, following consultation with the Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services, to determine the final format and content of consultation in accordance with statutory and other legal requirements.

(iii)  Subject to complying with Financial and Contractual Procedure Rules, to delegate authority to the Director of Children’s Services and Learning, following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, to do anything necessary to give effect to the recommendations in this report.

(iv)  To add, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules, a sum of £3,000,000 to the Children’s Services Capital Programme, for the expansion of city centre primary schools, funded from non-ring-fenced Department for Education Basic Need Grant.

(v)  To note that approval for the expenditure added in recommendation (iv) above will be brought forward to Cabinet when sufficient detail can be provided to effectively inform decision making.

1. This report is presented as a general exception item in accordance with Rule 15 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of Part 4 of the Council's Constitution.  Amendments to the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to information) (England) Regulations 2012 require 28 days notice to be given prior to determining all Key Decisions. This new requirement was published by government mid August and comes into effect on 10^th September 2012.  It has not been possible to meet the requirement of 28 days notice between publication of the new Regulations and the scheduled meeting of Cabinet and it is not reasonable or practicable in the circumstances to defer all key decision items to a future meeting.
2. The city centre is experiencing greater pressure on places than any other area of the city and whilst a number of schools have expanded as a result of the primary review phases 1 and 2 it is clear that additional primary school places are required if we are to meet our statutory duty to provide a school place to all those children that require one.
3. Primary Review Phase 2 projects increased the number of year R places in the city to 3,030 from September 2012 and this number of places would be replicated in all primary aged year groups in subsequent years.  However, recent birth and child benefit data indicates that pupils numbers are due to exceed our planned year R capacity in 2014, 2015 and 2016:

4. The demand in the city centre was greater than anticipated for the 2012/13 year and several schools had to be expanded, initially for 1 year only, to accommodate the extra demand.  The schools selected were Bassett Green Primary and Bevois Town Primary, as they could admit an extra class at short notice and also had the potential to expand throughout all year groups.  These two schools, along with St John’s, are now proposed to expand in all year groups.
5. If the proposal were approved, the city would have a total of 3,120 year R places from September 2014 and in subsequent years.

1. If no action were taken the city would have a significant deficit number of year R places in September 2014, 2015 and September 2016 and while there still may be a deficit with the implementation of these proposals, it would be far reduced and more manageable.  The creation of further school places (in addition to the proposals in this report) will be subject to the LA receiving further allocation) of capital funding from the DfE. 
2. Several other schools in the central spine of the city were visited (Portswood Primary and Swaythling Primary) both in relation to a 1 year expansion in September 2012/13 and longer term expansion plans from 2013/2014 onwards.  However, both these schools were discounted due to a lack of internal space and site restrictions, which would make expansion/capital works both difficult and expensive.  They had no rooms which could be converted at short notice into a classroom for September 2012 and had a no outdoor space which could conceivably be used to accommodate multiple classrooms.
3. Bassett Green and Bevois Town could be left with a 1 year “bulge” year group and could revert to the 2011/12 PAN in 2013/14, however this was neither schools preference, nor the Local Authority’s, given the projected future demand and difficulties in managing 1 year group which is larger than all others.