Decision details

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services seeking permission to commence four weeks of statutory consultation on proposals to expand Bassett Green Primary School, Bevois Town Primary School and St John’s Primary and Nursery School.  This follows 4 weeks of pre-statutory consultation which runs from 27th September to 25th October 2012. 

(i)  To note the outcome of the pre-statutory consultation as set out in the report and appendix 1.

(ii)  To commence 4 weeks of statutory consultation in November and December 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)

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

(iii)  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.

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

1.  The centre of the City is experiencing greater pressure on places than any other area and whilst a number of schools in the City centre have already expanded, 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.

2.  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.  While existing expansion plans would provide enough places Citywide, it is likely that there would be a shortage of places in the City centre if these proposals were not taken forward. 

3.  The demand in the City centre was greater than anticipated for the 2012/13 year and two schools had to be expanded, initially for one 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 Primary, are now proposed to expand across all year groups. 

4.  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 from September 2014 onwards.  It is estimated that we could need up to 3,240 places in 2015/16, but we do not believe that pupil numbers will stay at this level.  It is anticipated that numbers will drop to around 3,100 in 2016/17.  At the moment we only have enough funding to expand the three schools in this report and do not feel it would be prudent to permanently expand more schools when the places may only be needed for one year only.  The creation of further school places (in addition to the proposals in this report) would be subject to the Local Authority receiving further allocations of capital funding from the DfE.

2.  Other schools in the central spine of the City were visited (Portswood Primary and Swaythling Primary) both in relation to short and long term expansion projects.  However, both these schools were discounted due to a lack of internal space and site restrictions, which would make expansion/capital works 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.