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, the following variations to the 2004/05 Education capital programme be approved:

(a) provision for schools' devolved capital be varied from £16.034m to £16.138m;

(b) provision for the major project at Nightingale Primary School, Eastleigh be increased by £0.150m from the provision for management of falling rolls;

(c) that the following major projects be added to the 2004/05 capital programme:

(i) extension and refurbishment of Nightingale Primary School, Eastleigh at an estimated cost of £1.200m;

(ii) provision of a sports hall at Alderman Quilley Secondary School, Eastleigh, at an estimated cost to the Education capital programme of £0.025m;

(iii) provision of a sports hall at Hounsdown Secondary School, Totton, at an estimated cost to the Education capital programme of £0.165m;

(iv) food technology and science improvements at Bridgemary Community School, Gosport at an estimated cost of £0.306m;

(v) food technology and science improvements at Cove Secondary School, Farnborough at an estimated cost of £0.305m;

(vi) science improvements at Westgate Secondary School, Winchester at an estimated cost of £0.297m.

2. That, subject to the approval of the Executive Member, Policy and Resources, the following variations to the 2003/04 Education capital programme be approved:

(a) that resources of £0.190m be allocated from 2003/04 capital receipts towards the cost of sports hall projects at Alderman Quilley Secondary School, Eastleigh and Hounsdown Secondary School, Totton;

(b) additional resources of £0.100m for specialist schools provision.

3. That £0.004m be transferred from the 2003/04 capital programme provision for an early years project at Trosnant Infant School, Havant to the Education revenue budget to be used to support the early years project at the school.

4. That approval be given for the applications for planning permission until 31 March 2009 for temporary classrooms to be placed on the following sites:

Ashwood Education Centre, Basingstoke - one single and one double unit

Four Marks Primary School - one pre-school unit

Nightingale Primary School, Eastleigh - four double units and one office unit

South Baddesley Primary School - one single unit

Whitchurch Primary School - one double unit

5. That it be a RECOMMENDATION to the Executive Member, Policy and Resources, that the applications for temporary classroom accommodation listed in Recommendation 4 are approved until 31 March 2009.

2. Reason

2.1 To approve variations to the Education capital programme.

2.2 The proposals in this report support Aim 1 of the Corporate Strategy (Maximising life opportunities) by proposing allocations of funding to improve the learning environments of Hampshire schools.

3. Other options considered and rejected - none.

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 25 March 2004

Contact: Bob Eardley, Strategic Planning Manager, 01962 846275

1. Summary

1.1 This report sets out proposed changes to the 2003/04 and 2004/05 capital programmes and submissions for new temporary classrooms.

2. Capital programme 2004/05 - amendments to block capital allocations

2.1 Since the 2004/05 capital programme was submitted for approval in January, the DfES has made a minor change to the devolved formula capital allocation for 2004/05. This is shown below and is submitted for approval as a variation to the approved programme:

	Original allocation £m	Revised allocation £m
Devolved formula capital	16.034	16.138

3. Nightingale Primary School, Eastleigh

3.1 As part of the review of special educational needs provision in Winchester and Eastleigh, the requirement was identified for early years provision for children with special needs in Eastleigh. This is an area where there is also a shortfall of mainstream nursery provision. The 2004/05 capital programme includes provision to fund a comprehensive early years facility. Temporary classrooms will need to be located at the school to allow this project to be undertaken (see section 7 of this report).

3.2 The early years provision is to be developed in the former infant school building, and the primary school, with suitable rationalisation and updating of accommodation, will operate in the former junior school building. Sale of part of the site for residential development will make a substantial contribution towards the costs of the project.

3.3 A contribution of £0.300m from the 2004/05 capital programme was approved on 24 January 2004. Since that date, it has become apparent that the current valuation of the land proposed for sale is lower than previously estimated, because of the likely scale of infrastructure works necessary for the land to be sold. This means that a further £0.150m needs to be provided to allow the scheme to proceed. In practice, some or all of this amount may be covered by the receipt, but this cannot be confidently predicted at this stage. It is recommended that the shortfall be met from the provision in the 2004/05 capital programme for the management of falling rolls, as it relates to rationalisation of the school's accommodation, which was not carried out at the time of its amalgamation. Authority for borrowing through the Prudential Code for Capital Finance against the anticipated capital receipt is being sought in a separate report. It is recommended that, subject to the approval by the Executive Member, Policy and Resources of that borrowing, that the major project for refurbishment and extension of the former junior school building at Nightingale Primary School be added to the 2004/05 capital programme, at an estimated cost of £1.200m.

4. Projects financed through the New Opportunities Fund

4.1 On 17 July 2003, the Executive Member, Education approved a package of proposals to submit for approval to the New Opportunities Fund to take up grant of £6.634m awarded to the County Council for major new sporting provision at the following locations:

(a) Funding for provision of sports halls at the following secondary schools:

Alderman Quilley Secondary, Eastleigh

Fernhill Secondary, Farnborough

Hounsdown Secondary, Totton

Test Valley Secondary, Stockbridge

(b) Funding for provision of changing facilities to allow community use of sports halls at the following secondary schools:

Cams Hill Secondary School, Fareham

(c) Funding for provision of multi-use games areas (MUGAs) at the following secondary schools:

Bridgemary Community, Gosport

Cowplain Secondary, Waterlooville.

Park Community, Havant

(d) Funding for capital improvements to the following outdoor centres:

Minstead Study Centre

Tile Barn Centre, Brockenhurst

4.2 A funding strategy was approved in July 2003 in advance of contractual arrangements being finalised by the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services. This work has now been completed and final costings are available. Mainly as a result of changes by NOF to the works specification reported last July, project costs have increased over the original estimates when projects were selected for submission. To help bridge the funding gap, schools have contributed more money through their devolved capital allocations and this has made a significant impact on the shortfall. If all the schemes proceed, however, there remains a shortfall of £0.190m. Although the portfolio of projects could be amended by omitting one or more of the MUGAs, this would disadvantage schools included in the NOF programme. In addition, those schools chosen for provision of MUGAs are in areas of relative deprivation and this course of action is not recommended.

4.3 There is provision of £0.340m in the 2003/04 capital programme from unallocated capital receipts and it is recommended that £0.190m of this is allocated to cover the shortfall of resources on the NOF portfolio. This would enable all of the projects to proceed. The scheme to improve facilities at Minstead Study Centre is subject to future approval of a Seed Challenge bid of £0.200m, which will be considered by the Executive Member, Education in May. Commitments for this project remain provisional until the Seed Challenge application has been considered. It is recommended that the £0.190m is used to provide additional funding of £0.025m at Alderman Quilley Secondary School, Eastleigh and £0.165m at Hounsdown Secondary School, Totton.

4.4 A breakdown of the funding for these projects is shown in Appendix 1.

5. Secondary school science and food technology projects 2004/05

5.1 The 2004/05 capital programme includes a block allocation of £1.942m for secondary school science and food technology improvements. Individual projects have now been drawn up and costed; the majority are minor works schemes, but there are three projects where costs exceed £0.250m and which are major schemes. These are listed below:

Project	£m
Bridgemary Community, Gosport	0.306
Cove Secondary, Farnborough	0.305
Westgate Secondary, Winchester	0.297

5.2 Appendix 2 lists all the schemes in this category, indicating the number of specialist spaces being improved at each school. Contributions from schools' devolved capital are being made in all cases at 20% of the total project cost, except for Test Valley Secondary School, where all devolved capital is committed towards funding of basic need work and a new sports hall.

6. Variations to the 2003/04 capital programme

Early years project at Trosnant Infant School, Havant

6.1 The 2003/04 capital programme includes provision of £0.035m from Policy and Resources towards the cost of an early years facilities at Trosnant Infant School, Havant. This project has now been completed and there is an underspend of £0.022m. The pro rata share of the underspend applicable to Policy and Resources is £0.004m. Following consultation with the Executive Member, Policy and Resources it is proposed that £0.004m of this underspend is vired from capital to revenue in order to support the revenue costs of the early years project at Trosnant Infant School.

Specialist schools

6.2 Kings' School, Winchester has been successful in its application for Specialist School status for Business and Enterprise. It is recommended that the provision for general minor works in 2003/04 is increased by £0.100m to reflect the capital allocation received from the DfES.

7. Temporary Classrooms

7.1 Approval is sought for the placing of temporary classrooms at:

· Ashwood Education Centre, Basingstoke;

· Four Marks Primary School;

· Nightingale Primary School, Eastleigh;

· South Baddesley Primary School;

· Whitchurch CE (C) Primary School.

7.2 Where suitable units are owned by the County Council, these will be used; otherwise new units will be hired.

New applications

Ashwood Education Centre, Basingstoke

7.3 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 was originally set up to provide 15 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 6 f.t.e. places for excluded pupils and pupils at risk of exclusion in Key Stages 1 and 2.

7.4 From September 2002, LEAs were required to provide full time education for permanently excluded pupils. In order to meet this additional demand, the first floor of the main building was converted into teaching space. With the increase in numbers and subsequent increase in class size these spaces are no longer suitable as they are too small. The Behaviour Support Team, comprising 8 adults will move from the accommodation on the Beech Down Primary School site to occupy this space, in line with the Education centre's strategic plan.

7.5 In the period 1996/97 to 2000/01, permanent exclusions in Hampshire fell from 364 to 152. The figure of 21 f..t.e. 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.

7.6 In 2001/02 permanent exclusions in Hampshire rose to 229, a 50% increase on the previous year. In April 03 there were 29 permanently excluded pupils at Key Stages 3 & 4 in the Ashwood Centre and exclusions continued to rise.

7.7 In order to meet the LEA's responsibility for full time provision, on site provision at the Ashwood Centre is not sufficient, to allow Key Stage 3 and 4 pupils to access important curriculum areas fully. A double temporary classroom was provided in 2003 to provide much needed additional accommodation. While this has helped the situation, a significant increase in current figures, from 29 to 55 permanently excluded pupils means that more accommodation is required, to fulfil statutory responsibilities.

7.8 The Worting Infant and Junior School site includes the Austen unit which provides support to pupils who have difficulty attending school and school girl mothers. Following a review of the local Education Centre accommodation requirements, and to take account of the amalgamation of the Worting Infant and Junior Schools, it has been agreed that the service provided at the Austen Unit be relocated to the Ashwood Education Centre site. This reflects the reduction in the number of f.t.e. places at the Austen unit and enables the Education Centre to operate from one site. The Austen unit building will be adapted to provide early years provision.

7.9 One double and a single temporary classroom is required to provide replacement accommodation for the Austen unit when it is relocated on the Ashwood Education Centre site. The cost of providing and adapting the temporary accommodation will be met jointly by the temporary classroom hire budget and EOTAS funding.

Four Marks Primary School

7.10 The existing temporary unit housing the pre-school at Four Marks Primary School has been condemned and needs to be vacated during the summer break. The Early Education and Childcare Unit has confirmed a continuing need for this provision and it is proposed to replace the unit with another to allow the pre-school to continue. It is anticipated that the new unit will be a purpose built temporary unit, with the cost being funded through the allocation available in the 2004/05 capital programme for the replacement of temporary pre-school units.

Nightingale Primary School

7.11 Paragraphs 3.1 to 3.3 above seek approval to proceed with a surplus place removal project at Nightingale Primary School, Eastleigh. As already indicated, it is necessary to vacate the former infant school building completely to allow this scheme to proceed. This will require temporary accommodation for the infant age pupils, together with accommodation for the existing pre-school and office accommodation for a number of officers in the Early Education and Childcare Unit based in the premises.

7.12 It is proposed that four double temporary classroom units be placed adjacent to the junior building, which will provide the following accommodation: four classrooms for infant age pupils, a staffroom and ICT room (required following the recent fire at the school), a library and a music/drama space. A smaller unit, similar to a site office, will also be required to store the PE and dining furniture (again following the fire at the school).

7.13 Another double temporary classroom unit will be required adjacent to the infant building for use by the pre-school group and the officers of the Early Education and Childcare Unit.

7.14 The unit adjacent to the infant school will be required until the completion of the building works on that building (expected to be completed by January 2005) with the other units being required until the completion of the main contract (anticipated to be September 2005). At the conclusion of each phase of the building work the temporary accommodation will be removed from site; by September 2005 all temporary units will have been removed.

7.15 Funding for the units will be provided through the temporary classroom hire budget.

South Baddesley Primary School

7.16 This school is a small village school with a capacity of 96 and is leased from the Pylewell Estate. The accommodation at the school comprises four classrooms (two of which are undersized, one capable of accommodating 25 pupils and the other 22), a library (in the reception area), a staffroom, an administration office and a Headteacher's office (all three of which are very small). The school makes use of the village hall across a road for assemblies, dining accommodation, a music/drama space (including a space for peripatetic music) and as a space for the delivery of the PE curriculum.

7.17 The small classroom would be better suited to provide accommodation for ICT (currently in a corridor leading to one of the classrooms) or as an SEN room. It is recommended that a temporary classroom be placed on the school site to provide the fourth teaching space, thus allowing the small space to be used for other purposes. It is also proposed that a development plan is produced which shows how, in the longer term, appropriate accommodation can be provided in permanent accommodation.

7.18 Discussions are currently under way with the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services about the provision of a hall on the school site, which could be included in the development plan for the school.

7.19 The unit will be funded through the temporary classroom hire budget.

Whitchurch Primary School

7.20 The 2005/06 capital programme includes provision for a two classroom extension at Whitchurch Primary School to expand the school to become a 2 FE (420 places) primary school. The number on roll at present is 333 and forecasts show this number increasing, as the number of four year olds in the catchment area will exceed 60 for the foreseeable future.

7.21 In order to meet the present in catchment demand, a double temporary classroom will be required until completion of the basic need extension, which is planned for the summer term of 2006.

Recommendations

1. That, subject to the approval of the Executive Member, Policy and Resources, the following variations to the 2004/05 Education capital programme be approved:

(a) provision for schools' devolved capital be varied from £16.034m to £16.138m;

(b) provision for the major project at Nightingale Primary School, Eastleigh be increased by £0.150m from the provision for management of falling rolls:

(c) that the following major projects be added to the 2004/05 capital programme:

(i) extension and refurbishment of Nightingale Primary School, Eastleigh at an estimated cost of £1.200m;

(ii) provision of a sports hall at Alderman Quilley Secondary School, Eastleigh, at an estimated cost to the Education capital programme of £0.025m;

(iii) provision of a sports hall at Hounsdown Secondary School, Totton, at an estimated cost to the Education capital programme of £0.165m;

(iv) food technology and science improvements at Bridgemary Community School, Gosport at an estimated cost of £0.306m;

(v) food technology and science improvements at Cove Secondary School, Farnborough at an estimated cost of £0.305m;

(vi) science improvements at Westgate Secondary School, Winchester at an estimated cost of £0.297m.

2. That, subject to the approval of the Executive Member, Policy and Resources, the following variations to the 2003/04 Education capital programme be approved:

(a) that resources of £0.190m be allocated from 2003/04 capital receipts towards the cost of sports hall projects at Alderman Quilley Secondary School, Eastleigh and Hounsdown Secondary School, Totton;

(b) additional resources of £0.100m for specialist schools provision.

3. That £0.004m be transferred from the 2003/04 capital programme provision for an early years project at Trosnant Infant School, Havant to the Education revenue budget to be used to support the early years project at the school.

4. That approval be given for the applications for planning permission until 31 March 2009 for temporary classrooms to be placed on the following sites:

Ashwood Education Centre, Basingstoke - one single and one double unit

Four Marks Primary School - one pre-school unit

Nightingale Primary School, Eastleigh - four double units and one office unit

South Baddesley Primary School - one single unit

Whitchurch Primary School - one double unit

5. That it be a RECOMMENDATION to the Executive Member, Policy and Resources, that the applications for temporary classroom accommodation listed in Recommendation 4 are approved until 31 March 2009.

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

Funding breakdown for New Opportunities Fund projects

Appendix 2

Secondary school food technology and science improvement projects 2004/05