Contact: Bob Eardley, Strategic Planning Manager, 01962 846275. Email: [email protected]

1. Summary

1.1 This report sets out proposed changes to the 2005/06 capital programme and to the location of temporary classrooms.

1.2 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.

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

2. Amendments to the 2005/06 capital programme

Petersfield Infant School, Petersfield

2.1 Petersfield Infant School is using funding from its devolved capital allocation to upgrade an existing ICT suite and to extend and refurbish the administration area and the headteacher's office. The estimated cost is £0.121m, of which £0.070m will be met from the school's devolved formula capital, leaving a shortfall of £0.051m. As a result of new housing in the area, a developer's contribution is due to be received in the current financial year. To enable the scheme to take place during the summer of 2005, it is recommended that £0.051m is made available from the contingency. The contingency would be reimbursed once the contribution is received.

Hamble Primary School

2.2 Hamble Primary School is using funding from its devolved capital allocation to provide an extension to an existing classroom to create a more appropriate teaching space with a cloaks/lobby area. The estimated cost is £0.171m including fees, of which £0.050m will be met from the school's devolved formula capital, leaving a shortfall of £0.116m. As a result of new housing in the area, an initial developer's contribution of £0.026m has already been received and a further £0.176m is due to be received in the current financial year. To allow the project to proceed as planned in the autumn of 2005, it is recommended that £0.121m is made available from contingency. The contingency would be reimbursed once the contribution is received.

Bordon Junior School

2.3 In May 2004 the Executive Member, Education approved a programme of works under the Seed Challenge Initiative for 2004/05. The available funding was significantly oversubscribed and at the time is was reported that there were a number of proposals that could be funded through other routes. A project at Bordon Junior School fell into that category and a scheme has subsequently been developed to carry out internal adaptations and extension to create a secure entrance lobby, and improved administration accommodation.

2.4 The cost of the scheme is £0.140 including fees and the school will be using £0.062m of their devolved formula capital, Policy & Resources are contributing £0.023m including fees leaving a shortfall of £0.055m. This project will remove 90 surplus places at the school and it is proposed, therefore, that a contribution should be funded from the Management of Falling Rolls block vote. It is recommended that a contribution of £0.055m from that source is allocated to this project.

Grange Junior School, Gosport

2.5 A project has been developed at Grange Junior School, Gosport to carry out adaptations to a surplus classroom to provide an ICT suite, thus removing 30 surplus places. The cost of the scheme is £0.085m; the school is contributing £0.060m from its devolved capital allocation, leaving a shortfall of £0.025m. In recognition of the contribution of this project to the reduction of surplus places, it is recommended that a contribution of £0.025m from the Management of Falling Rolls block vote for 2005/06 be allocated.

3. Cams Hill School, Fareham

3.1 In 2002/03 the County Council was allocated £6.600m by the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) for the provision of new sports facilities at schools, which would be of particular benefit to the local community. Most of the funding was applied to the provision of sports halls at secondary schools at the small number of secondary schools without them. When the funding was received, consideration was give to the construction of a sports hall at Cams Hill School, Fareham, where a temporary structure was coming to the end of its life. Cams Hill is a foundation school and the governors decided to fund a sports hall themselves, partly through advance funding from the County Council. As the school was high on the priority list for a sports hall, it was agreed with the governors at the time that an additional facility would be provided for the school using the NOF funding.

3.2 The school's priority is for a dance studio, which would be provided for dual use by school and community, in line with NOF's requirements. The cost of the project is £0.230m, of which 0.180m is being provided by the NOF grant and the remainder by the school. NOF funding is allocated to the County Council rather than direct to schools and it is necessary, therefore, to add this project to the capital programme so that funding can be made available to the school as the project progresses. It is recommended that resources of £0.180m from NOF grant are added to the provision for minor works to fund a project at Cams Hill School, Fareham.

4. Funding allocation for Children's Centres

4.1 Allocations have recently been made by the DfES to LEAs for a major expansion of the number of children's centres. The County Council has received an indicative allocation of £9.515m capital for 53 centres during 2006/07 and 2007/08; a revenue allocation of £7.959m over the same period has also been announced. At this stage, there are no further details about how the programme will develop and further reports will be submitted once information is available.

5. Temporary classrooms

Lord Wilson Special School, Fareham

5.1 Lord Wilson Special School provides places for boys aged between 11 and 16 with Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties (BESD). There is an increasing demand for this provision. There are two other schools within Hampshire, Lakeside School in Chandlers Ford and The Sundridge School in Cowplain, both of which have reached their capacity.

5.2 Lakeside School is currently undergoing major building works for a new specialist block and adaptations to the existing teaching block. Funding has been allocated by the DfES through the Targeted Capital Fund for replacement of The Sundridge School with a new purpose built school in Havant. It is not, therefore, currently possible for any additional places to be provided at these schools.

5.3 To meet the immediate demand for additional places, it is recommended that a single temporary unit be placed on the Lord Wilson School site. The cost of this provision can be met from the temporary classroom hire revenue budget.

Warren Park Primary School, Havant

5.4 There is a temporary unit at Siskin Junior School, Gosport, placed there for use by Sure Start while fire damage repairs were carried out. It now needs to be removed in order to complete the external works required as part of the overall contract managed by Gosport Borough Council for new permanent Sure Start facilities.

5.5 It is recommended that this unit be relocated to Warren Park Primary School, Havant for use partly to meet increased demand from the Sure Start Unit operating on that site and partly as a base for an Environmental Study Area, which would also be used by other schools within the Havant Excellence Cluster. The cost of the relocation will be funded form the early education temporary classroom provision block vote in the 2005/06 capital programme.

6. County Council Policy Requirements

6.1 Legal implications - The proposals support the County Council's statutory duty to provide school places and comply with central government accommodation requirements and guidance.

6.2 Financial implications - These are set out in the report.

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

6.4 Community cohesion, inclusiveness and partnership working - Most of the capital projects proposed in this report support these aims.

6.5 Crime prevention issues - None directly arising from this report.

Recommendations

1. That the following variations to the 2005/06 Education capital programme be approved:

(a) the addition of the following projects to the provision for minor works, to be funded initially from the capital programme contingency:

Petersfield Infant School - £0.051m

Hamble Primary School - £0.121m

(b) the addition of the following projects to the provision for minor works, to be funded from the block vote for management of falling rolls:

Bordon Junior School - £0.055m

Grange Junior School, Gosport - £0.025m

(c) the addition of a project at Cams Hill School, Fareham to the provision for minor works at a cost of £0.180m, to be funded from a grant from the New Opportunities Fund.

2. That, subject to the approval of the Executive Member, Policy and Resources, the application for planning permission for the following temporary classrooms until 31 July 2009 be approved:

Lord Wilson School, Fareham - one single unit

Warren Park Primary School, Havant - one double unit.

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.