Archived decisions

Contact: Chris Holt, Education Officer (Primary) 01962 845673; [email protected]

Peter Colenutt, Assistant Education Officer (School Review) 01962 846157; [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1. This report recommends that local consultations are undertaken on a strategy to manage primary school places in the Hedge End area, Eastleigh thereby reducing surplus places to below 10%, in keeping with Audit Commission expectations.

1.2. Changes in local demography have led to an appraisal of the demand for, and supply of, primary school places. The number of children is increasing in the new developments to the north of the area and, in line with county-wide trends, there is a decline in the number of primary aged children in the more established housing developments to the south of the area.

1.3. This report sets out the background and information leading to a proposed strategy which is designed to provide a pattern of improved primary school provision and investment in the local community to match local need. This would be achieved through the establishment of a new school, to cater for increased demand in the north of the area, and capital investment at other schools in the area to rationalise and improve teaching and learning facilities and the replacement of temporary classrooms.

1.4. In summary, local consultations will provide the opportunity to consider a potential investment strategy designed to:

· match school places to local demand

· promote cost-effective education by offering improved facilities in schools to support higher standards of achievement;

· enhance early years provision;

· meet the need for specialist provision for pupils with special educational needs;

· offer opportunities for improved facilities in schools for community use consistent with the Children Bill and extended schools agenda.

1.5. Appendix 1 is a map of the area, showing existing primary schools and their respective catchment areas.

1.6. The issues raised in this report reflect the following County Council corporate aims:

· Aim 1 - maximising life opportunities

· Aim 4 - building strong and safe communities

· Aim 5 - improving services.

1.7. The report should also be considered in light of the County Council's equalities policies, particularly in relation to:

· Admission policies which are `clear, fair and objective' as required by the DfES (2003) Code of Practice on admissions;

· Ensuring that good quality provision for children with special educational needs (SEN) is maintained and if possible enhanced;

· Providing appropriate facilities for disabled pupils in any new building or adaptations.

1.8. The views of the local county councillors will be sought as part of the consultation process.

2 Background

2.1. The Hedge End area is currently served by seven primary schools (see Table 1) with a total capacity of 2695 places. The forecast numbers on roll at these schools for January 2009 totals 2348, which equates to 347 surplus places (12.9% of capacity).

2.2. An outline planning application has recently been approved by Eastleigh Borough Council for up to 765 dwellings on land in the north of the area, known as Dowd's Farm (see map at Appendix 1). The proposed development is located within the catchment area of Berrywood Primary School. It is anticipated that the first houses at Dowds Farm will be occupied in 2006 with development fully completed by 2009 generating around 190 primary age children.

2.3. There is sufficient capacity in primary schools in the area to accommodate this number of children, however, not in schools within easy reach of the Dowds Farm development. In keeping with planning applications of this nature and scale, land has been earmarked within the new development site to provide a 210 place 1 form entry (1fe) primary school and there is commitment to a substantial contribution towards the cost of building a new school.

2.4. Informal discussions have taken place with the headteachers of primary schools listed in Table 1 and also the Wildern secondary school, regarding the proposed Dowds Farm development and its implications for schools in the Hedge End area. Given the limited number of places in neighbouring schools to accommodate children from the development discussions have been based on building a new 210 place primary school at Dowds Farm. This would necessitate a review of catchment areas.

2.5. Table 1 - Hedge End primary schools - Accommodation and pupil numbers

* A single temporary classroom has been located at this school to cope with a specific bulge in numbers and will be removed in 2009.

( )- figures in brackets denote temporary accommodation and are included in the net capacity figure.

Note: Pupil numbers exclude the new development at Dowds Farm.

3 Proposed Strategy

3.1 The County Council's policy, as set out in the School Organisation Plan, is to provide new primary schools within major new developments where possible, and also to take steps to reduce surplus provision in areas where pupil numbers are falling. The strategy for future primary school provision in Hedge End should take account of these policies by taking a strategic view of the area and its future needs. The benefit from developers' contributions must be maximised and opportunities explored to generate capital receipts from the sale of surplus land for reinvestment in improving and rationalising existing schools.

3.2 To meet these aims, it is proposed to build a new 210 place (1fe) primary school at Dowds Farm to serve the new development, with consideration being given to establishing SEN resourced provision and provision for pre-school age children. Investment needs at other schools in the area will be reviewed. The current position at each of these schools, against which investment needs will be assessed, is set out in Section 4.

4 Current Position

Kings Copse Primary School

4.1 Kings Copse Primary School is forecast to have 106 surplus places (41.7% of capacity) in five years time. The school would benefit from capital investment to rationalise its accommodation and reduce its capacity.

Shamblehurst Primary School

4.2 This school is forecast to have 96 surplus places (20.8% of capacity) in five years time. The school has a double temporary classroom and would benefit from capital investment to rationalise its accommodation and reduce its capacity, at the same time removing the temporary classroom.

Freegrounds Infant School

4.3 Freegrounds Infant School has a double temporary classroom and would benefit from capital investment to replace this with permanent build.

Freegrounds Junior School

4.4 This school was extended to 3 fe in 1998.

Berrywood Primary School

4.5 This school was originally built as an eight classroom primary school in 1990. The school was extended to 2 fe (420 places) in 1994 and further extended to 3 fe (630 places) in 1995. Historically, Berrywood Primary has been oversubscribed and a single temporary classroom has been located on site due to a specific bulge in numbers and will be removed in July 2009 once the bulge has worked its way through. A permanent solution for its replacement is therefore not required.

Botley CE (Controlled) Primary School

4.6 Botley Primary School was modernised in 2001 to replace the accommodation in the former annex with a permanent building.

St. James' CE (Controlled) Primary School

4.7 The school capacity and buildings are designed to meet the present and forecast numbers on roll.

5 Early Years

5.1 Audit data (June 2003)

5.2 An early years education place is defined as one offering 2.5 hours free nursery education per day for 11 weeks per term. The number of early years education (EYE) places is calculated taking into account places and sessions in maintained and non-maintained settings. The above table indicates that there is a significant shortfall of EYE places in both Hedge End Grange Park and Hedge End Wildern wards. There is a surplus of places in Hedge End St John's ward.

5.3 Figures from the audit shown in paragraph 5.1 identify 312 places to meet a projected requirement of 318 places in 2006. A new pre-school, registered for 24 places, opened in September 2003, offering 7 sessions a week. Using the formula applied in the audit this comes to an additional 17 places, making a total supply of 329 places. Another pre-school relocating in Hedge End St John's ward does not alter these figures. Whilst overall there are currently more places than required to meet local need, an additional 38 EYE places will be required as a result of the Dowd's Farm development. Adding that to the existing demand gives us a total requirement for 356 EYE places, leaving a shortfall of 27 places. It is recommended that community facilities at Dowd's Farm should include at least for a 24 place setting, offering nursery education.

6 Special Educational Needs Resourced Provision

6.1 The county council aims to ensure that good quality provision for children with SEN is maintained and, wherever possible, enhanced and to provide appropriate facilities for pupils with a disability in new or adapted school buildings. Building a new school in the Hedge End area of Eastleigh will offer an opportunity to provide accommodation which is accessible to pupils with sensory impairments and/or physical disability. In particular, there is a need for a resource base which may serve the needs of primary age pupils with significant visual impairment. Whilst there is a relatively low incidence of this need, some children require access to specialist teaching, support and equipment. A relatively new primary school in Basingstoke serves this need in the north of the county. Hedge End would be a suitable location for a similar provision which is accessible to children living in the south of the county.

7 Financial Implications

7.1 Any future strategy will need to be self financing in terms of capital funding. Discussions with the landowners/developers and Eastleigh Borough Council will continue with the aim of maximising the developer's contribution and capital receipts from the sale of land to ensure the financial viability of the proposed strategy. A detailed financial appraisal will form part of the report on the outcomes of consultation to Education Policy Review Committee on 15 March 2005.

8 County Council Policy Requirements

8.1. Legal implications - The proposals comply with the statutory framework for planning school places.

8.2. Financial implications - None directly arising from this report.

8.3. Personnel implications - None directly arising from this report.

8.4. Community cohesion, inclusiveness and partnership working - these issues will be considered as part of the consultation.

8.5. Crime prevention issues - None.

Recommendations

1. That the Executive Member for Education approves the undertaking of local consultations on the proposed strategy to manage primary school places in the Hedge End area, Eastleigh.

Section 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 the Act.

None