Archived decisions

90

Contact: Ann Begley, Assistant County Education Officer, 01962 846518

Email:[email protected]

Steve Clow, Head of Architecture, 01962 847858 Email:[email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 This report provides members with an update on the project to reorganise special school provision in the Alton/Bordon area.

2 Background

2.1 The reorganisation of special school provision in East Hampshire will involve replacement of the existing Meadow School (MLD) in Bordon and Whitedown School (SLD) in Alton with a single school on the Meadow school site catering for the full range of learning difficulties. The provision will be supplemented by resourced provision at Mill Chase Community School, Bordon and at two primary schools in the area. Work is underway to identify appropriate primary schools and for discussions to take place with headteachers and governors in the autumn term.

3 New School Accommodation

3.1 The overall plans for the new 120 place school, catering for pupils between the ages of 2-19, have been finalised. The new school will have general and specialist teaching spaces, post 16 accommodation, a hydrotherapy pool and staff facilities. There will be accommodation to enable specialist staff such as health therapists to work with pupils. The design of the new school will allow community use of facilities such as the hall and hydrotherapy pool.

3.2 The cost of the proposed new school project is currently estimated at £7.1m, including fees, though further detailed work is required involving the appointed main contractor and sub-contract supply chains to arrive at the most cost effective proposals.

3.3 Funding of £5m (the maximum allowed under the scheme) has been secured from the DfES Targeted Capital Fund. It is anticipated that with the capital receipt from the sale of Whitedown school site, and further contributions from capital repairs, corporate resources and other existing resources, the total scheme will proceed. A Cabinet report in July 2004 resolved to proceed with the project and corporate resources of £375,000 were added to the overall funding envelope.

3.4 The project will be added to the 2005/06 Education capital programme in January 2005, with a recommendation that the remaining funding shortfall of £237,000 is met from 2005/06 capital resources.

3 Timescale

3.1 The School Organisation Committee approved on 23 May 2003 the establishment of a new community special school for 120 pupils with complex learning difficulties between the ages of 2 - 19, on the Meadow School site. On the same date approval was given to the establishment of a unit for children with learning difficulties at Mill Chase Community School, Bordon, catering for up to 10 pupils. Both proposals would take effect from the start of the Summer term 2006.

3.2 Two meetings were held with residents who live close to the current Meadow school, in March and May this year, to explain the proposals and to answer questions. Concerns were raised by residents about additional traffic and surface water drainage. The scheme will provide additional car parking and vehicle drop-off facilities which should ease the traffic problems. In addition a managed drainage system, which will hold surface rainwater on site and release it slowly to prevent an overload to the existing mains drainage, is included in the scheme. There is a significant abnormal cost in complying with the Environment Agencies' requirements to manage suitable water discharge from the site. The final cost of this will not be known until contractors' prices have been received. This was identified at the feasibility and design stage, but still remains a risk to the cost of the project.

3.3 The planning application for the project was submitted in May this year. Following some minor changes to the landscape proposals approval was received in July. A Project Appraisal was submitted to the Education Buildings Advisory Group (EBAG) in September 2004 and will then be referred to the Executive Member for Education and the Executive Member for Policy and Resources for a decision in November of this year.

3.4 Progress on the construction of the project will be reported to the Executive Member for Education in the usual way as the Project Appraisal was approved. It is therefore not intended to bring further reports to the Panel.

3.5 A framework building contractor has been involved with the project since Spring 2004 to develop the detailed scheme and obtain competitive subcontract prices. Enabling works were successfully undertaken in the summer holidays to provide a larger car park, new vehicle drop off facilities and extension of the existing infant playground with associated drainage. Also one of the existing temporary classrooms was relocated.

3.6 It is intended to start main contract building work in March/April 2005 with a target completion date of Easter 2006. The schools will then relocate to the new building. A further three/four months will then be needed to demolish the existing Meadow School and complete the remaining external works, finalising all work by September 2006.

5 Implementation Group

5.1 An implementation group, chaired by the Assistant County Education Officer has been established to provide a forum for the headteachers and governors of both schools to meet with officers. Meetings are held regularly to discuss issues in relation to the development of the new school. Further meetings have been held with a smaller group to focus specifically on the details of the room layouts and these have now been agreed.

5.2 In addition, a group has been set up to finalise arrangements for the resourced provision at Mill Chase school. This group will support the school in setting up the operational systems for the provision as well as identifying any physical alterations needed to the school's accommodation to provide the required facilities.

5.3 Preliminary planning for the creation of the new school's temporary governing body is well under way and it is intended this will be established in the second half of the autumn term. Members of the temporary governing body will be responsible for making arrangements for the recruitment, selection and appointment of the new headteacher. It is envisaged the headteacher designate will be appointed in the summer term 2005. This will enable the new headteacher to work with the temporary governing body in developing the staffing structure for the new school and appointing staff to new positions. It is anticipated that the headteacher designate would be in post from January 2006.

6 Future Action

6.1 In the Autumn Term 2004 meetings will be held with a number of primary schools in the area, identified for possible mainstream resourced provision prior to proceeding to the publication of notices.

6.2 Work will continue with the framework building contractor in finalising the scheme and agreeing the contract price for the project. This is envisaged to be completed by early 2005 to enable a start on site for the main building works in the Spring of 2005.

6.3 The project is currently on track to meet this target programme with the first phase completed successfully this Summer. There is significant upward pressure on prices in the building industry due to continuing demand for materials, in particular steelwork. A final reconciliation of funding and the contractors and sub-contractors supply chain prices will be undertaken before the next major phase of works can commence in March/April 2005. Good progress has been made to date and the design team will continue to explore all opportunities to control costs without affecting the quality of the provision for the school.

7 County Council Policy Requirements

7.1 Legal implications - None.

7.2 Financial implications - Addressed in report.

7.3 Personnel implications - Both schools are scheduled to close, every effort will be made to redeploy staff into appropriate posts in the new school and to avoid redundancies.

7.4 Impact assessment - Race and equality assessment has been considered in the development of this report and no adverse impact has been identified.

7.5 Community cohesion, inclusiveness and partnership working - Current good practice will be continued.

7.6 Crime prevention issues - None.

7.7 Views of the local county councillor - the local member is fully aware of the project.

8 Recommendation

8.1 That the report be noted.

Section 100 D - 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.

NB The list excludes:

1. Published works

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

None.