Hampshire School Organisation Committee

8 December 2006 Item 3

Review of Primary School Provision in the North and East Andover Area - Shepherds Spring Infant and Junior Schools, Andover - Proposed Closure

Report of the Secretary and Legal Adviser to the Committee

Contact: Karen Widdowson, Secretary to Hampshire School Organisation Committee

(Tel: 01962 847334) email: [email protected]

Louise Read, Legal Adviser to Hampshire School Organisation Committee

(Tel: 01962 847344) email: [email protected]

1. Summary

The Committee are asked to consider the Prescribed Information to discontinue Shepherds Spring Infant School and Shepherds Spring Junior School, at Smannell Road, Andover, in the Borough of Test Valley, with effect from 31 August 2008.

The Committee are also asked to consider the representations received about these proposals following publication of notices.

2. The Proposal

On 24 July 2006, Hampshire County Council's Cabinet approved a strategy for primary school provision in the North East of Andover and approved the publication of a statutory notice in accordance with Sections 28 and 29 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1988, to discontinue Shepherds Spring Infant School and Shepherds Spring Junior School with effect from 31 August 2008. This decision followed a public consultation period on the proposals.

The relevant committee paperwork submitted to the Hampshire County Council's Cabinet on 24 July 2006 and to the Children's Services Policy Review on 18 July 2006 is set out in appendix H. The Prescribed Information (appendix E), the content of which meets the statutory requirements, is enclosed together with the public notice (appendix B) published on 1 September 2006 which again meets the statutory requirements.

3. Consultation

Prior to the publication of the statutory public notice, the proposer undertook a detailed public consultation exercise which began on 20 February 2006 and lasted approximately 10 weeks. A copy of the public consultation booklet together with the programme of consultation sessions can be found at appendix G.

It is considered that the Secretary of State guidance about consulting interested parties has been followed. In particular the proposer in carrying out their consultations allowed adequate time, provided sufficient information for those being consulted to form a considered view on the matters on which they were being consulted, and made clear how their views could be made known.

4. Representations Received

The six week statutory representation period ended at 5 p.m. on 13 October 2006. This followed widespread formal public consultation, which began on 20 February 2006.

Twenty representations were received in response to the public notices and the proposer has analysed the representations into twelve issue headings and commented on each representation. Copies of all letters received by the proposer and the responses of the proposer are set out in appendix D.

5. Resource Implications

The Capital Strategy

Section 14 of the Hampshire County Council's Cabinet report of 24 July 2006 sets out the Capital Strategy. For completeness the relevant paragraphs are duplicated below:-

"Section 13 proposes that, if the Shepherds Spring schools were to close, a Children's Centre could be established in the Infant School building and an Education Centre in the Junior School building. This strategy would also allow the opportunity for a capital receipt, subject to planning consent. Assuming 100% of the receipt is available, the estimated net cost of the Children's Centre and Education Centre conversions would be £2.4m. This cost would need to be met from the Children's Services capital programme.

A further option for funding the net costs of the Education Centre is also being considered. As one of the key aims of the review is to remove surplus places and deliver revenue savings which will then accrue to the Schools Budget, it is possible that the proposal to establish an Education Centre could meet the criteria allowing prudential borrowing, with the costs being charged against the Direct Schools Grant (DSG) and the Schools Budget.

This is allowable where prudential borrowing is for the purpose of facilitating the modernisation and rationalisation of school provision and where the revenue savings that will be achieved are equal to or more than the expenditure that will be incurred in borrowing the money. Further work will be required to confirm whether the development of the Education Centre meets these requirements. If it does, then the approval of the Schools Forum will first be required to the prudential borrowing approach and then to any increase in central expenditure above the limit. The Schools Forum's views on this will be affected by the overall pressures on central expenditure and scale of the settlement for the next multi- year period.

As it is proposed that the recommended scheme will be part funded by a capital receipt, there will be a period of time when costs will be incurred without the capital receipt having been realised. The plan would be to use prudential borrowing to cover this period. This would incur a cost of borrowing which would be met by the capital programme initially and then from the capital receipt."

6. Travel Implications for School pupils

The statutory public notice published on 1 September 2006 indicates that places will be available for pupils affected by this closure, who are not due to transfer to secondary school in September 2008, at Knights Enham Infant and Junior Schools, Roman Way Primary School and other local schools. In addition parental wishes will be taken into account, subject to places being available at the preferred schools. It will not be necessary to provide additional accommodation at other schools as a consequence of these proposals. Transport to other schools will be provided for pupils who qualify in accordance with the Local Education Authority's published policy.

7. Links to other proposals

As far as the SOC has been notified these proposals are not linked to or conflict with any other published proposals, and nor do they relate to proposals published by the Learning and Skills Council.

Although Hampshire County Council Cabinet approved on 24 July 2006 the publication of statutory notices to establish a new two form entry community primary school, to cater for 420 pupils aged 4 - 11 at East Anton, with effect from 1 September 2009. However these notices whilst related to the overall strategy for primary school provision in the north east of Andover have not yet been published and therefore should not to be taken into account. It has also been established that the proposal to build a school at East Anton has not yet been through the planning permission processes.

8. Timescale for the Decision

As stated in the statutory public notice the closure of Shepherds Spring Infant School and Shepherds Spring Junior School will be effective from 31 August 2008. According to the statutory notice other local schools have sufficient capacity for the school pupils who would be displaced by such closure, therefore this implementation date would appear to be achievable.

9. The relevant sections of statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State

The relevant sections of statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State, to which SOC Members must have regard when statutory proposals is given at appendix A.

10. Action required

The Committee may:

¬ Approve the proposals;

¬ Approve the proposals with modifications;

¬ Reject the proposals;

¬ Give a conditional approval.

Enquiries in advance of the meeting should be addressed to the Secretary of Hampshire School Organisation Committee, c/o the Chief Executive's Department, The Castle, Winchester, SO23 8UJ.

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