Archived decisions

90

Contact: Contact: Bob Eardley, Strategic Planning Manager, 01962 846275

1 Summary

1.1 The following decisions are sought:

1. That, subject to the approval of the Executive Member, Policy and Resources,

(a) the following additions are made to the 2002/03 capital programme resources for minor works:

(i) £1.614m for schemes under the Schools Access Initiative;

(ii) £1.4m for Specialist Schools allocations;

(iii) £136,000 for work to Youth Service premises under the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001.

(b) funding in 2002/03 and 2003/04 under the New Deal for Schools Modernisation Fund for early years and the Nursery Education in Disadvantaged Areas initiative be allocated to the schemes listed in Appendix 1

(c) early years projects at:

(i) Park Primary School, Aldershot (£300,000);

(ii) The Vyne Secondary School, Basingstoke (£360,000); and

(iii) Winnall Primary School, Winchester (£300,000)

be added to the 2003/04 capital programme as named schemes.

(d) resources for the extension scheme at Hook Junior School be increased by £160,000 from the 2002/03 capital programme contingency.

2. That, in respect of the agreement to be concluded with the governors of Warren Park Primary School, Havant for the management of early years facilities at the school, approval be given to a clause which provides for repayment of capital grant of £999,000 from Sure Start and £245,000 from Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Partnership Single Regeneration Budget, if the use of the accommodation for early years facilities should cease within 50 years.

3. That approval be given in principle for management agreements to be concluded with High/Scope U.K for the operation of day nurseries at the following schools in Havant:

(a) Sharps Copse Primary;

(b) Warren Park Primary

And for additional projects currently under negotiation at other sites in Hampshire.

4. That approval be given for the siting of temporary classroom accommodation at the following sites:

(a) Whitedown Special School, Alton - one single unit;

(b) Ashwood Education Centre, Basingstoke - one double unit.

5. That the Executive Member, Policy and Resources be asked to approve the applications for the temporary classroom accommodation listed in recommendation 4 until 31 August 2006.

2 Reason

2.1 To approve variations to the Education capital programme.

3 Other options considered and rejected - not applicable.

4 Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or a member or officer consulted - none.

5 Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - not applicable.

6 Reasons for the matter being dealt with if urgent - not applicable.

Approved by Date of decision

Councillor D Allen

Contact: Bob Eardley, Strategic Planning Manager, 01962 846275

1 Summary

1.1 This report recommends amendments to the 2002/03 and 2003/04 capital programmes.

2. Capital programme 2002/03 - additional resources

2.1 Since the last capital programme review report was submitted on 18 July 2002, additional resources have become available for the 2002/03 capital programme. These arise from:

· Schools Access Initiative funding;

· specialist schools grant/credit approvals;

· Special Educational Needs and Disability Act funding for Youth Service buildings

Schools Access Initiative funding

2.2 An indicative allocation of £1.614m for Schools Access Initiative projects in 2002/03 was reported in January 2002. This has subsequently been confirmed by the DfES and, following consultation with schools, a list of projects at over 50 schools has been agreed. These projects are in line with the approach taken in previous years, which is to:

· address outstanding works at Richard Aldworth Community School, Basingstoke, to make further progress towards 100% accessibility;

· increase the number of secondary schools providing nearly complete accessibility;

· develop at least one fully accessible primary school feeding to an accessible secondary school;

· carry out pupil led schemes to allow pupils with disabilities to access mainstream schools;

· provide specialist capital equipment for pupils with disabilities.

2.3 Examples of larger schemes include:

· The Crookhorn Community, Purbrook (£150,000) - part of a phased project to make this school fully accessible in terms of curriculum delivery, from our strategic plan to ensure a spread of accessible schools.

· Portchester Community (£200,000) - to update and upgrade the first fully resourced school, again to be phased;

· Richard Aldworth Community, Basingstoke (£200,000) - work continues to improve general accessibility throughout the school by providing new ramps and pathways. In addition, a new accessible toilet has been provided and each teaching block now has such facilities.

2.4 All SAI schemes are minor works and it is recommended that the provision for minor works in 2002/03 be increased by £1.614m to cover the cost of projects and the provision of specialist equipment.

Capital funding for specialist schools

2.5 A number of secondary schools have been successful in applying for specialist school status. These schools receive a one-off capital allocation of £100,000, which may be either grant or credit approval. The table below indicates those schools to which allocations have been made in the current financial year.

School	Specialism	Grant/credit approval
The Arnewood, New Milton	Technology	Grant
Brighton Hill Community College, Basingstoke	Sports	Credit approval
Brookfield Community, Sarisbury	Languages	Grant
Hamble Community Sports College	Sports	Credit approval
Costello Technology College, Basingstoke	Technology	Grant
Henry Beaufort, Winchester	Technology	Grant
Horndean Technology College	Technology	Grant
The Hurst Community, Baughurst	Science	Grant
Park Community, Havant	Art	Grant
Perin's Community, Alresford	Sports	Credit approval
Swanmore College of Technology	Technology	Grant
The Vyne Community, Basingstoke	Art	Grant
The Wavell, Farnborough	Technology	Grant
Yateley	Performing arts	Grant

2.6 Work is in hand, in consultation with schools, to design and implement agreed works (and in some instances capital equipment purchases). It is recommended that £1.4m is added to the 2002/03 provision for minor works to meet the cost of these projects.

Disability Discrimination Act funding for Youth Service buildings

2.7 A grant of £136,000 has been received from the DfES under the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 to improve access to Youth Service premises. Following an assessment of needs, it is proposed that access improvements are carried out at 13 Youth Services premises throughout the county, with a reserve list of four further locations if funding permits. All of the schemes are minor works and it is proposed that provision in the 2002/03 capital programme for minor works is increased by £136,000 to cover the cost of these projects.

3. Early years provision

3.1 The 2002/03 and 2003/04 capital programmes include provision of £424,000 in each year under the DfES's Nursery Education in Disadvantaged Areas (NEDA) initiative. These grants have to be match funded from other sources and must be applied to early years education facilities on County Council sites.

3.2 Work has been carried out to identify areas of need for such provision in areas of disadvantage and those pockets of disadvantage accepted by the DfES, to which the funding is limited. A number of potential projects have been identified, which are summarised below and it is recommended that these are now added to the 2002/03 and 2003/04 capital programmes. The full list, showing proposed sources of funding, is attached as Appendix 1.

Proposed schemes - 2002/03

3.3 Cherrywood Primary, Farnborough - there is an allocation of £1.25m in the current year's capital programme for work to the former Mayfield Junior School to produce a 1.5 f.e. primary school. This includes significant early years provision. It is proposed to meet 50% of the cost of this provision (£87,000) from the NEDA allocation. The NEDA funding replaces a proportion of the existing resources allocated to this scheme.

3.4 Warren Park Primary School, Havant - this project combines funding from a range of sources, but tendered costs exceeded estimates and a bid was made to the DfES for additional capital resources through the Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative. Unfortunately, this bid was unsuccessful and it is now proposed to apply £100,000 from the NEDA allocation to meet the shortfall.

3.5 Funding for this new build project includes £744,000 (plus an additional £255,000 from the programme allocation) from the Sure Start Unit and £245,000 from the Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Partnership Single Regeneration Budget (SRB). In light of this funding, conditions placed on Hampshire County Council in relation to this building include:

· the building is available for use by Sure Start Leigh Park for ten years and to operate in accordance with the Sure Start ethos for 50 years, or the total Sure Start capital contribution is to be returned;

· SRB grant will be clawed back in all cases where disposal of an asset occurs, unless specific, written consent for clawback to be waived or deferred has been obtained in advance;

· the Sure Start project must notify Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Partnership if it is proposed to change the use of the capital asset. If the new use does not continue to reflect the objectives approved, the Secretary of State may recover funds up to the total amount of SRB grant paid in respect of the project.

3.6 Approval is now sought for these conditions to be included in the management agreement between Hampshire County Council and the governors of Warren Park Primary School.

Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative - proposed schemes in Havant

3.7 Under the NNI project it is proposed to develop a day nursery at the following sites in Havant:

_ Warren Park Primary School (as part of the Sure Start Centre)

_ Sharps Copse Primary School (as part of the development of an early years centre in the former infant school.

3.8 Following a tendering process, High/Scope UK (a national educational charity) has been selected as the preferred provider to manage the Havant day nurseries. Project contracts, including revenue grant payments of up to £1,247,400 are being drafted by the Chief Executive's Legal Practice and the County Education Officer for the development of NNI projects in Hampshire. Conclusion of these contracts are a pre-requisite for the release of capital grant by the DfES.

3.9 Approval is now sought in principle for the project contracts, including revenue grant, with High/Scope UK and other providers.

Proposed schemes - 2003/04

3.10 Ashley Infant - NDS Modernisation funding of £100,000 is proposed as a contribution to a Lottery bid by a local early years group for provision at Ashley Infant School, at a total estimated cost of £367,000.

3.11 Chineham Park Primary, Basingstoke - Relocation of a playgroup from John Hunt of Everest Community School. £25,000 is being provided from early years revenue funding and it is proposed to match this with £25,000 from NEDA resources.

3.12 Nightingale Primary, Eastleigh - provision of an early years centre as part of a rationalisation of the primary school into one building. The cost of the work to create the primary school will be met from a land sale, school contributions and NDS Modernisation funding (subject to allocations). In order to create an early years centre from the former infant school building, it is proposed to allocate £100,000, with £50,000 from NEDA, matched by £50,000 from NDS Modernisation.

3.13 Park Primary, Aldershot - there is provision of £122,000 NDS Modernisation funding in the 2002/03 capital programme to establish nursery facilities at Park Primary School. This project will not start in the current financial year and it is recommended that the funding is carried forward to 2003/04 and increased to £150,000, 50% of the currently anticipated cost. It is proposed that the remaining 50% is met from NEDA funding.

3.14 The Vyne Community School, Basingstoke - to provide permanent accommodation for a 50 place day nursery (0-5 years), expanding the pre-school currently occupying temporary buildings. A contribution of £360,000 towards the total cost is proposed, with half of this contribution being met from NEDA funding and half from NDS Modernisation funding. Additional funding is to be secured by the community management committee for this project.

3.15 Winnall Primary, Winchester - proposed pre-school provision is estimated to cost £300,000. Again, it is proposed to provide 50% of the funding from NDS Modernisation and 50% from NEDA.

Contingency

3.16 Specific contingencies totalling £55,000 for NDS Modernisation funding and £106,000 for NEDA resources are recommended to be retained pending the availability of detailed scheme costings.

Greenacres Special School, Winchester

3.17 On 17 October 2002, the Executive Member, Education agreed that the proposed Winchester Early Years Centre should be built on the site at Bereweeke Road, Winchester. The proposals for the reorganisation of special schools in Winchester and Eastleigh had originally suggested the use of the site of Greenacres School for this purpose. This will no longer be required and will, therefore, be surplus to educational requirements once the school closes at Easter 2003. The Greenacres site has development potential and the proceeds of sale are required towards the cost of building the Early Years Centre.

4. Hook Junior School

4.1 A scheme to build two additional classrooms at Hook Junior School through the Key Stage 2 Class Size Initiative has been agreed. Developers' contributions of £160,000 from the new housing development at Holt Lane, Hook have been secured; £80,000 is secured on completion of the 50^th house and a further £80,000 on completion of the 150^th house. The housing development has not yet begun. In view of the complexity of the scheme, the money available through the Key Stage 2 funding is not sufficient to build the two classrooms and provide a covered link between this accommodation and the existing building. To allow the whole scheme to proceed in advance of receiving developers' contributions, it is proposed to allocate funding of £160,000 from the 2002/03 capital programme contingency, to be added to the Key Stage 2 provision. The developers' contributions, when received, will be added to the capital programme resources at that time.

5. Temporary classrooms

5.1 Approvals are sought to the placing of temporary classrooms at the schools listed below.

Whitedown Special School, Alton

5.2 The proposed reorganisation of Whitedown School, Alton and The Meadow School, Bordon, recommends the closure of both schools and construction of a new school on the Meadow site. Unfortunately the Targeted Capital Fund bid made for the current financial year to secure capital to implement the reorganisation was not approved by the DfES, but a further bid will be submitted for 2003/04.

5.3 The Whitedown School has requested provision of a single temporary classroom to improve accommodation for pupils, specifically in relation to creative arts, i.e. music, drama and dance. The existing accommodation at the school is poor, with a lack of specialist facilities and undersized accommodation. It is proposed to site temporary accommodation to provide an area where pupils can undertake creative arts.

5.4 The long term proposal is to demolish the school, sell off the site and relocate children to a new school to be built on the Meadow School site. The provision of temporary accommodation for additional specialist facilities for pupils currently at the school pending the implementation of this project is the most suitable way of providing much needed facilities. The school has devolved capital to meet the costs of the relocation of an owned temporary unit to the site.

Ashwood Education Centre, Basingstoke

5.5 The Ashwood Education Centre (formerly the Basingstoke Pupil Referral Unit) is mainly housed in permanent accommodation in what was previously a hostel for adults with learning difficulties. The unit has, currently, 23 f.t.e. places for permanently excluded Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils. The former caretaker's house, on the same site, has also been converted to use by the Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) service and provides a further 12 f.t.e places for excluded pupils and pupils at risk of exclusion in Key Stages 1 and 2.

5.6 From September 2002, LEAs have had to provide full time education for permanently excluded pupils. In order to meet this additional demand, a building project was planned for the main building whereby the first floor of the building (which consisted of small bedrooms from the former hostel use) was to be converted into teaching space. There is £30,000 in the minor works provision in the current year's capital programme for this purpose and the new space would have provided an additional 8 f.t.e places.

5.7 Building work has been subject to a number of delays and it is now anticipated that the new provision will be available in January 2003.

5.8 In the period 1996/97 to 2000/01, permanent exclusions in Hampshire fell from 364 to 152. The figure of 20 f.t.e places at the Ashwood Education Centre was based on maintaining permanent exclusions at about the 2000/01 level. Changes to legislation and guidance about exclusions have, however, been reflected in a rise in exclusions both nationally and locally.

5.9 In 2001/02, permanent exclusions in Hampshire rose to 229, a 50% increase on the previous year. There are currently 29 permanently excluded pupils at Key Stages 3 & 4 in the Ashwood Centre and exclusions continue to rise.

5.10 In order to meet the LEA's responsibility for full time provision, the EOTAS service is using other providers such as the Youth Service and is hiring spare accommodation in local schools. On-site provision at the Ashwood Centre is not sufficient, however, to allow all Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils to access important curriculum areas fully.

5.11 It is recommended, therefore, that a temporary classroom be sited on the Ashwood Education Centre Site. This would allow provision to be consolidated on one site and for a fuller curriculum to be delivered. It would also avoid the need for disaffected pupils (and the staff teaching them) to have to travel to a number of separate sites in the Basingstoke area. The intention is to relocate an owned unit, subject to availability.

Recommendations

1. That, subject to the approval of the Executive Member, Policy and Resources,

(a) the following additions are made to the 2002/03 capital programme resources for minor works:

(i) £1.614m for schemes under the Schools Access Initiative;

(ii) £1.4m for Specialist Schools allocations;

(iii) £136,000 for work to Youth Service premises under the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001.

(b) funding in the 2002/03 and 2003/04 under the New Deal for Schools Modernisation Fund for early years and the Nursery Education in Disadvantaged Areas initiative be allocated to the schemes listed in Appendix 1

(c) early years projects at:

(i) Park Primary School, Aldershot (£300,000);

(iv) The Vyne Secondary School, Basingstoke (£360,000);

(v) Winnall Primary School, Winchester (£300,000)

be added to the 2003/04 capital programme as named schemes.

(d) resources for the extension scheme at Hook Junior School be increased by £160,000 from the 2002/03 capital programme contingency.

2. That, in respect of the agreement to be concluded with the governors of Warren Park Primary School, Havant for the management of early years facilities at the school, approval be given to a clause which provides for repayment of capital grant of £999,000 from Sure Start and £245,000 from Portsmouth and South East Hampshire Partnership Single Regeneration Budget, if the use of the accommodation for early years facilities should cease within 50 years.

3. That approval be given for a management agreement to be concluded with High/Scope U.K. for the operation of day nurseries at the following schools in Havant:

(a) Sharps Copse Primary;

(b) Trosnant Infant;

(c) Warren Park Primary.

4. That approval be given for the siting of temporary classroom accommodation at the following sites:

(a) Whitedown Special School, Alton - one single unit;

(b) Ashwood Education Centre, Basingstoke - one double unit.

5. That the Executive Member, Policy and Resources be asked to approve the applications for the temporary classroom accommodation listed in recommendation 4 until 31 August 2006.

Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - Background papers

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.

NB: the list excludes:

1. Published works

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

None.

Appendix 1

Early years projects

* See text