Archived decisions

Hampshire County Council

Executive Member - Education Item

23 March 2006

Testbourne Community School, Whitchurch

Report by the Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services

How the conclusion in this report fits with the Corporate Strategy

This scheme will impact on the delivery of all Corporate Aims, focusing most immediately on:

Aim 1 - maximising life opportunities: the proposal to provide improved music teaching facilities will have an immediate benefit for the school.

Aim 5 - improving services: all users of the proposed new facilities will benefit from these proposals.

1

Summary

1.1

Testbourne Community School, built in 1932, is a Foundation School serving several villages and the town of Whitchurch for pupils 11 to 16 years old. Currently there are 733 pupils on roll.

1.2

The school was granted Specialist School Status in June 2005 for performing arts and it is proposed that the school improves its performing arts facilities to deliver the aims set out in the specialist school status bid.

1.3

It is proposed to reconfigure the music classrooms by way of internal alterations to make better use of the space and create more flexible teaching spaces to allow the school to deliver an improved range of music teaching.

1.4

The estimated cost of the works is £248,276, excluding fees. The cost includes £86,207, excluding fees, from the Children's Services Capital Programme 2006/07 Specialist School College Status funding and £162,069, excluding fees, from the school's devolved capital.

1.5

The Director of Property, Business and Regulatory Services has progressed the design of the internal modifications to the music teaching facilities and the purpose of this report is to outline the proposals and seek approvals for these improvements.

2

Scope of the Works

2.1

It is proposed to reconfigure the plan layout for the music area in the school. Currently there is a music classroom, two practice rooms, an office and a store. Unusable corridor space also takes up a proportion of the floor plan and the existing music room is only lit from above and is not a space conducive to high quality music teaching.

2.2

The proposed reconfiguration of the music area will provide a music classroom, a multi purpose classroom/ensemble practice room, an office, a store and 2-3 practice rooms for peripatetic teaching. The nearby theatre hall will also provide a space for larger scale ensemble practice.

3

Planning

3.1

As the nature of the work is internal modifications and refurbishment, a formal planning application will not be required as these works are deemed to be permitted development.

4

Funding and Timing

4.1

Funding of £86,207, excluding fees, will come from the Children's Services Capital Programme 2006/07 Specialist School College Status funding and £162,069, excluding fees, from the school's devolved capital.

4.2

Subject to the necessary approvals, it is anticipated that tenders will be invited in April 2006 with work to start on site in June 2006, and to be completed in September 2006.

5

Consultation with Local Member

5.1

Councillor John Maxwell, the local Member for this area, has been consulted on this design project appraisal and expressed his "strong approval" for the scheme.

Conclusion

The scheme will provide improved music teaching facilities for this specialist college school.

Recommendation

That the Executive Member for Education approves the report for the Testbourne Community School scheme, at an estimated cost of £248,276, excluding fees.