Archived decisions

Contact: Ian Lawson, Strategic Planning Officer (01962 846350)

1. Summary

1.1 The following decision is sought:

That public notices be published to make a prescribed alteration to Lymington Junior School, by enlarging the premises by 60 places.

1. Reasons

1.1 As part of the programme to provide additional classrooms to deal with the impact at Key Stage 2 of action taken to restrict Key Stage 1 classes to a maximum of 30, the Department for Education and Skills has allocated capital to build an additional two classrooms at Lymington Junior School. This is now included as a named project in the Education Capital Programme for a start in 2002/03.

1.2 Lymington Junior School currently has a capacity for 240 pupils, with a published admission number of 68. The school shares its site with Lymington CE Aided Infant School, which has an admission number of 75. This means that, even with classes of 34, it is not possible for the Junior School to admit all the potential pupils from its feeder infant school. This means that some junior pupils have to attend other schools in adjacent areas. The addition of 60 places to Lymington Junior school will overcome this.

1.3 An extension of this size is a prescribed alteration to the school, which requires the publication of public notices. Before notices are published, it is necessary to undertake local consultation and consider the outcome. To this end, discussion has taken place with the governing bodies of other schools in the area. This has led to a letter from the governing body of Pennington Junior School, indicating opposition to the proposal on the grounds that this would disadvantage other schools by increasing the proportion of available children who would attend the Lymington Infant and Junior Schools, that there is spare capacity at other schools in the area and that the enlargement would place pressure on other areas within Lymington Junior School, such as the hall.

1.4 We do not consider that this objection is sufficiently strong to override the justification for the additional places at Lymington Junior School. This is an unusual situation in that the additional places are not required to meet any shortfall overall, but are primarily to address the imbalance between accommodation for infants and juniors on the same site. The DfES allocation to the project was specific to Lymington Junior School. We feel, therefore, that it would be right to proceed with the publication of public notices. This would then allow for any continuing objections to be considered by the School Organisation Committee before the project is committed.

2. Other options considered and rejected

3.1 Not applicable.

3. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or member or officer consulted

4.1 Not applicable.

4. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

4.1 Not applicable.

6. Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent

6.2 Not applicable.

Approved by: Date of decision:

Councillor D. Allen

Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background Documents

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

N.B. the list excludes:

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

Letter of objection from the Chairman of Governors of Pennington Church of England Junior School, dated 9 October 2001.