PROPOSALS FOR PRESCRIBED ALTERATIONS OTHER THAN … · Roman Way First School, Burns Road, Royston, SG8 5EQ, a community school. The Local Authority is Hertfordshire County Council,

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PROPOSALS FOR PRESCRIBED ALTERATIONS OTHER THANFOUNDATION PROPOSALS: Information to be included in acomplete proposal

In respect of a Governing Body Proposal: School and governing body’s details

1. The name, address and category of the school for which the governing body are publishingthe proposals.

N/A

In respect of a LA Proposal: School and local authority details

1. The name, address and category of the school.

Roman Way First School, Burns Road, Royston, SG8 5EQ, a community school.

The Local Authority is Hertfordshire County Council, County Hall, Pegs Lane, Hertford,SG13 8DF.

Implementation and any proposed stages for implementation

2. The date on which the proposals are planned to be implemented, and if they are to beimplemented in stages, a description of what is planned for each stage, and the number ofstages intended and the dates of each stage.

It is planned that the proposals will be implemented in full from 01 September 2016 andthis will enable an intake of 60 reception pupils for this and each subsequent academicyear thereafter.

Objections and comments

3. A statement explaining the procedure for making representations, including —

(a) the date prescribed in accordance with paragraph 2 of Schedule 3 The SchoolOrganisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations2013, by which objections or comments should be sent to the local authority; and

(b) the address of the authority to which objections or comments should be sent.

Any person may object or comment on the proposals. Comments or objections need tobe received by 24 June 2015 by sending them by post, marked for the attention ofRoman Way First School, to: Freepost RTHH-LXSL-BYYR, Hertfordshire CountyCouncil, Education Department, County Hall, Hertford, SG13 8DF, or by email to:

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[email protected]

Alteration description

4. A description of the proposed alteration and in the case of special school proposals, adescription of the current special needs provision.

Hertfordshire County Council proposes to enlarge the premises of Roman Way FirstSchool in full in September 2016 and this will enable the intake of reception pupils toincrease from 45 to 60 for this and each subsequent academic year thereafter. This willincrease the net capacity of the school as detailed below.

School capacity

5.—(1) Where the alteration is an alteration falling within any of paragraphs 1 to 4,and 12-14 ofSchedule 2 to The School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England)Regulations 2013, the proposals must also include —

(a) details of the current capacity of the school and, where the proposals will alter thecapacity of the school, the proposed capacity of the school after the alteration;

The current net capacity is 2551. After implementation of the proposal, the net capacitywould be 300.

(b) details of the current number of pupils admitted to the school in each relevant agegroup, and where this number is to change, the proposed number of pupils to beadmitted in each relevant age group in the first school year in which the proposals willhave been implemented;

R Yr 1 Yr 2 Yr 3 Yr 4

SchoolCensusSpring2015

45 41 42 26 30

There is no proposed change to each current relevant age group. This proposalwill enable an intake of 60 reception pupils in September 2016 and eachsubsequent academic year thereafter.

(c) where it is intended that proposals should be implemented in stages, the number ofpupils to be admitted to the school in the first school year in which each stage will havebeen implemented;

The number of reception places on offer in the first school year will be 60. Thisproposal is intended to be implemented in full from September 2016.

1This is the net capacity of the school, the admission capacity (published admission number)

referred to in the consultation letter is currently 225.

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(d) where the number of pupils in any relevant age group is lower than the indicatedadmission number for that relevant age group a statement to this effect and details ofthe indicated admission number in question.

N/A

(2) Where the alteration is an alteration falling within any of paragraphs 1 to 4,and 14 ofSchedule 2 to The School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England)Regulations 2013, a statement of the number of pupils at the school at the time of the publicationof the proposals.

The current number of pupils at the school is 184 (School Census Spring 2015)excluding nursery.

Implementation

6. Where the proposals relate to a foundation or voluntary controlled school a statement as towhether the proposals are to be implemented by the local authority or by the governing body,and, if the proposals are to be implemented by both, a statement as to the extent to which theyare to be implemented by each body.

N/A

Additional Site

7.—(1) A statement as to whether any new or additional site will be required if proposals areimplemented and if so the location of the site if the school is to occupy a split site.

No new or additional site is required.

(2) Where proposals relate to a foundation or voluntary school a statement as to who willprovide any additional site required, together with details of the tenure (freehold or leasehold)on which the site of the school will be held, and if the site is to be held on a lease, details of theproposed lease.

N/A

Changes in boarding arrangements

8.—(1) Where the proposals are for the introduction or removal of boarding provision, or thealteration of existing boarding provision such as is mentioned in paragraph 12 or 13 of Schedule2 to The School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England)Regulations 2013 —

(a) the number of pupils for whom it is intended that boarding provision will be made if theproposals are approved;

N/A

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(b) the arrangements for safeguarding the welfare of children at the school;

N/A

(c) the current number of pupils for whom boarding provision can be made and adescription of the boarding provision; and

N/A

(d) except where the proposals are to introduce boarding provision, a description of theexisting boarding provision.

N/A

(2) Where the proposals are for the removal of boarding provisions or an alteration to reduceboarding provision such as is mentioned in paragraph 12 or 13 of Schedule 2 to The SchoolOrganisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2013 —

(a) the number of pupils for whom boarding provision will be removed if the proposals areapproved; and

N/A

(b) a statement as to the use to which the former boarding accommodation will be put if theproposals are approved.

N/A

Transfer to new site

9. Where the proposals are to transfer a school to a new site the following information—

(a) the location of the proposed site (including details of whether the school is to occupy asingle or split site), and including where appropriate the postal address;

N/A

(b) the distance between the proposed and current site;

N/A

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(c) the reason for the choice of proposed site;

N/A

(d) the accessibility of the proposed site or sites;

N/A

(e) the proposed arrangements for transport of pupils to the school on its new site; and

N/A

(f) a statement about other sustainable transport alternatives where pupils are not usingtransport provided, and how car use in the school area will be discouraged.

N/A

Objectives

10. The objectives of the proposals.

The objectives of the proposals are to ensure there are enough school places available inthe area to meet local demand. It will also help provide enhanced education opportunitiesand improved facilities in new buildings.

Consultation

11. Evidence of the consultation before the proposals were published including—

(a) a list of persons who were consulted;

(b) minutes of all public consultation meetings;

(c) the views of the persons consulted;

(d) a statement to the effect that all applicable statutory requirements in relation to theproposals to consult were complied with; and

(e) copies of all consultation documents and a statement on how these documents weremade available.

a) Consultation list attached (Appendix A)

b) n/a

c) Consultation response summary in Cabinet report (Appendix B)

d) Public consultation commenced on 24 February 2015 and ran until 10 April 2015. Aconsultation letter was sent to all parents/carers, staff and governors of the school

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affected, as well as to all schools in the area and other statutory consultees.

e) Copy of consultation letter attached (Appendix C). The letter was sent to allparents/carers, staff and governors of the school affected, as well as to all schools andacademies in the area and other statutory consultees. The letter was also madeavailable on the Hertfordshire County Council website (hertsdirect.org).

Project costs

12. A statement of the estimated total capital cost of the proposals and the breakdown of thecosts that are to be met by the governing body, the local authority, and any other party.

The estimated total capital cost of the proposals will be £2.313m. This will be met bythe local authority.

This cost was outlined in the paper presented to Hertfordshire County Council Cabineton 18 May 2015, the full Cabinet paper can be viewed at:

www.hertsdirect.org/fullcabinet18may

13. A copy of confirmation from the Secretary of State, local authority and the EducationFunding Agency or Skills Funding Agency (as the case may be) that funds will be made available(including costs to cover any necessary site purchase).

An excerpt from the Hertfordshire County Council Cabinet report presented on 18 May2015 confirms that the capital and revenue cost of enlargement will be contained withinthe Primary Expansion Programme Phase 5 (PEP5) budget.

The full report, along with the minutes, once available, can be viewed at:

www.hertsdirect.org/fullcabinet18may

Age range

14. Where the proposals relate to a change in age range, the current age range for the school.

N/A

Early years provision

15. Where the proposals are to alter the lower age limit of a mainstream school so that itprovides for pupils aged between 2 and 5—

(a) details of the early years provision, including the number of full-time and part-timepupils, the number and length of sessions in each week, and the services for disabledchildren that will be offered;

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N/A

(b) how the school will integrate the early years provision with childcare services and howthe proposals are consistent with the integration of early years provision for childcare;

N/A

(c) evidence of parental demand for additional provision of early years provision;

N/A

(d) assessment of capacity, quality and sustainability of provision in schools and inestablishments other than schools who deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage within3 miles of the school; and

N/A

(e) reasons why such schools and establishments who have spare capacity cannot makeprovision for any forecast increase in the number of such provision.

N/A

Changes to sixth form provision

16. (a) Where the proposals are to alter the upper age limit of the school so that the schoolprovides sixth form education or additional sixth form education, a statement of how theproposals will—

(i) improve the educational or training achievements;

(ii) increase participation in education or training; and

(iii) expand the range of educational or training opportunities

for 16-19 year olds in the area;

N/A

(b) A statement as to how the new places will fit within the 16-19 organisation in an area;

N/A

(c) Evidence —

(i) of the local collaboration in drawing up the proposals; and

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(ii) that the proposals are likely to lead to higher standards and better progression at theschool;

N/A

(d) The proposed number of sixth form places to be provided.

N/A

17. Where the proposals are to alter the upper age limit of the school so that the school ceasesto provide sixth form education, a statement of the effect on the supply of 16-19 places in thearea.

N/A

Special educational needs

18. Where the proposals are to establish or change provision for special educational needs—

(a) a description of the proposed types of learning difficulties in respect of which educationwill be provided and, where provision for special educational needs already exists, thecurrent type of provision;

The specific proposal is not to establish or change provision for special educationalneeds.

Pupils with Statements of Special Educational Needs / Education, Health and CarePlans or special educational needs identified by the school are already provided forwithin the current maintained school setting which offers support to a wide range ofpupils.

SEN provision will continue for those pupils currently receiving provision and beprovided for any additional children attending the school following implementation ofthe proposal, in line with current practice at the primary and nursery school.

(b) any additional specialist features will be provided;

No additional specialist features are included within the proposals. The SEN positionwill be monitored on an ongoing basis, and appropriate steps taken to address anyadditional specialist needs which may arise.

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(c) the proposed numbers of pupils for which the provision is to be made;

N/A

(d) details of how the provision will be funded;

The expenses of the provision will continue to be met from the school’s delegatedbudget with additional allocations for any named pupils eligible for additional SEN

funding under the county council’s existing arrangements.

(e) a statement as to whether the education will be provided for children with specialeducational needs who are not registered pupils at the school to which the proposalsrelate;

N/A

(f) a statement as to whether the expenses of the provision will be met from the school’sdelegated budget;

The expenses of the provision will continue to be met from the school’s delegatedbudget with additional allocations for any named pupils eligible for additional SENfunding under the county council’s existing arrangements.

(g) the location of the provision if it is not to be established on the existing site of the school;

N/A

(h) where the provision will replace existing educational provision for children with specialeducational needs, a statement as to how the local authority believes that the newprovision is likely to lead to improvement in the standard, quality and range of theeducational provision for such children; and

N/A

(i) the number of places reserved for children with special educational needs, and wherethis number is to change, the proposed number of such places.

N/A

19. Where the proposals are to discontinue provision for special educational needs—

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(a) details of alternative provision for pupils for whom the provision is currently made;

N/A

(b) details of the number of pupils for whom provision is made that is recognised by thelocal authority as reserved for children with special educational needs during each ofthe 4 school years preceding the current school year;

N/A

(c) details of provision made outside the area of the local authority for pupils whose needswill not be able to be met in the area of the authority as a result of the discontinuance ofthe provision; and

N/A

(d) a statement as to how the proposer believes that the proposals are likely to lead toimprovement in the standard, quality and range of the educational provision for suchchildren.

N/A

20. Where the proposals will lead to alternative provision for children with special educationalneeds, as a result of the establishment, alteration or discontinuance of existing provision, thespecific educational benefits that will flow from the proposals in terms of—

(a) improved access to education and associated services including the curriculum,wider school activities, facilities and equipment with reference to the local authority’sAccessibility Strategy;

(b) improved access to specialist staff, both educational and other professionals, includingany external support and outreach services;

(c) improved access to suitable accommodation; and

(d) improved supply of suitable places.

N/A

Sex of pupils

21. Where the proposals are to make an alteration to provide that a school which was anestablishment which admitted pupils of one sex only becomes an establishment which admitspupils of both sexes—

(a) details of the likely effect which the alteration will have on the balance of the provision ofsingle sex-education in the area;

N/A

(b) evidence of local demand for single-sex education; and

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N/A

(c) details of any transitional period which the body making the proposals wishes specifiedin a transitional exemption order (within the meaning of paragraph 3 of Schedule 11 tothe Equality Act 2010).

N/A

22. Where the proposals are to make an alteration to a school to provide that a school whichwas an establishment which admitted pupils of both sexes becomes an establishment whichadmits pupils of one sex only—

(a) details of the likely effect which the alteration will have on the balance of the provision ofsingle-sex education in the area; and

N/A

(b) evidence of local demand for single-sex education.

N/A

Extended services

23. If the proposed alterations affect the provision of the school’s extended services, details ofthe current extended services the school is offering and details of any proposed change as aresult of the alterations.

There will be no alteration to services currently provided.

Need or demand for additional places

24. If the proposals involve adding places—

(a) a statement and supporting evidence of the need or demand for the particular places inthe area;

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The table below identifies the forecast demand for reception places in Royston Town(2014 Autumn Term Forecast). The current total number of permanent receptionplaces available across Royston town is: 210. The surplus/shortage is calculated bysubtracting the forecast demand from the current total number of permanent receptionplaces available.

Autumn Term 2014 forecast 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19

Demand 211 238 224 207

Surplus/Shortage -1 -28 -14 3

We take the following datasets into account within our forecasting methodology:

0-5 year olds registered with GPs

primary pupils moving on to secondary schools

trends, including migration to and from other authorities and the independent sector;and

an assumed pupil yield from new or planned housing developments

Further information can be found at the following link:

http://www.hertsdirect.org/services/edlearn/aboutstatesch/planning/

(b) where the school has a religious character, a statement and supporting evidence of thedemand in the area for education in accordance with the tenets of the religion orreligious denomination;

N/A

(c) where the school adheres to a particular philosophy, evidence of the demand foreducation in accordance with the philosophy in question and any associated change tothe admission arrangements for the school.

N/A

25. If the proposals involve removing places—

(a) a statement and supporting evidence of the reasons for the removal, including anassessment of the impact on parental choice; and

N/A

(b) a statement on the local capacity to accommodate displaced pupils.

N/A

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Expansion of successful and popular schools

25A. (1) Proposals must include a statement of whether the proposer considers that thepresumption for the expansion of successful and popular schools should apply, and where thegoverning body consider the presumption applies, evidence to support this.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) applies to expansion proposals in respect of primary and secondaryschools, (except for grammar schools), i.e. falling within paragraph 1 of Schedule 2 of the SchoolOrganisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2013.

N/A

APPENDIX A

List of those consulted

Parents/carers of pupils, staff and governors at the schoolconcerned;Residents local to the school concerned;Local Nursery, Primary, Secondary and Special schools;MPs, County Councillors, District Councillors, Parish and TownCouncils and Local Authority Chief Executives;Trade Union representatives;Church Diocese representatives;NHS representatives;Parent Governor representatives on the Overview and ScrutinyCommittee at Hertfordshire County Council;Further Education establishments, pre-schools, playgroups,Children’s centres, toddler groups and day nurseries;Libraries and Citizen’s Advice Bureaux.

The consultation letter and response form were also available onthe county council’s “Hertsdirect” website

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HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

CABINET MONDAY, 18 MAY 2015 AT 2.00PM

SCHOOL EXPANSIONS (PEP5) Report of the Director of Children’s Services Report Author: Pauline Davis, Head of School Planning (Tel: 01992 555865) Executive Member: Chris Hayward, Enterprise, Education & Skills Local Members: D A Ashley; F R G Hill; T R Hutchings;

R G Prowse; A S B Walkington. 1. Purpose of report 1.1 To inform Cabinet of the outcome of the public consultation on proposals for

the permanent expansion of the premises of first or primary schools in order to provide additional school places in September 2016 (PEP5), to meet a rising demand for them.

1.2 To enable Cabinet to decide whether to publish statutory proposals and to

approve the capital costs of the schemes. 2. Summary

2.1 There has not been a large response to the consultations and the overall response in all cases has been in favour of the proposals. All but one governing body have agreed with the proposals and the remaining one is positive but provisional.

2.2 Consideration of the issues and concerns relating to each proposal are contained in Appendices 1 – 5 to the report.

2.3 Cabinet is invited to consider whether to:

(i) reject the proposals (ii) modify the proposals or

(iii) authorise the Director of Children’s Services to publish statutory notices to enlarge the premises of the schools in question by the size and date identified

(iv) to approve the capital costs of the individual schemes

2.4 School expansions/enlargements will be the subject of future town planning applications where appropriate which will involve formal consultation with local

Agenda Item No:

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APPENDIX B

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residents and the local community. In such cases, any school enlargement decision will be conditional upon the granting of town planning permission for the building scheme proposals.

3. Recommendations 3.1 The Enterprise, Education & Skills Cabinet Panel will consider a report on this

item of business at its meeting on 18 May 2015. The Panel will be invited to recommends to Cabinet that:-

“Cabinet agrees that:

(i) the Director of Children’s Services be authorised to publish statutory

notices to enlarge the premises of the following schools by the size and date identified below:

School name Area Date of expansion

Expansion by form of entry (FE)

Increase in admission

number

Forres (Appendix 1) Hoddesdon

01.09.2016

0.5 f.e (to 2 f.e.) 15

Prae Wood (Appendix 2) St. Albans

01.09.2016

1.0 f.e. (to 2 f.e.) 30

Roman Way First (Appendix 3) Royston

01.09.2016

0.5 f.e. (to 2 f.e.) 15

Tannery Drift First (Appendix 4) Royston

01.09.2016

0.5 f.e. (to 2 f.e.) 15

William Ransom (Appendix 5) Hitchin

01.09.2016

0.7 f.e (to 2 f.e.) 22

and

(ii) that approval is given to the capital costs of the individual schemes as identified in paragraph 6.2 of the report.”

3.2 The Panel’s recommendation/s to Cabinet will be reported orally at the Cabinet

meeting and circulated to Members in the Order of Business sheet. 4. Background 4.1 On 13 February 2015 Members considered and recommended a fifth

programme of primary school expansions for 2016/17 (CMIS > Calendar of council meetings) to Cabinet, which approved the programme on 23 February 2015 (CMIS > Calendar of council meetings) .

4.2 The proposed schools in the Primary Expansion Programme phase 5 (PEP5)

are:

APPENDIX B

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Increase in admission

number

Forres (Appendix 1) Hoddesdon

01.09.2016

0.5 f.e (to 2 f.e.) 15

Prae Wood (Appendix 2) St. Albans

01.09.2016

1.0 f.e. (to 2 f.e.) 30

Roman Way First (Appendix 3) Royston

01.09.2016

0.5 f.e. (to 2 f.e.) 15

Tannery Drift First (Appendix 4) Royston

01.09.2016

0.5 f.e. (to 2 f.e.) 15

William Ransom (Appendix 5) Hitchin

01.09.2016

0.7 f.e (to 2 f.e.) 22

4.3 Cabinet also endorsed the Director of Children’s Services initiating consultation

on the proposals where appropriate. 5. The outcome of public consultation on the proposals. Process and timescale 5.1 The County Council’s public consultation on relevant proposals started on 24

February 2015 and finished on 10 April 2015. This was over a six week consultation period.

5.2 A similar consultation letter to that attached at Appendix 6 was sent to all

parents, governors and staff of every school affected, as well as all schools in the area, and to all other statutory consultees. Letters were also sent to:

residents local to the schools;

MPs, County Councillors, District Councillors, Parish and Town Councils and Local Authority Chief Executives;

Trade Union representatives;

Church Diocese representatives;

NHS representatives;

Parent Governor representatives;

Further Education establishments, pre-schools, playgroups, children’s centres, toddler groups and day nurseries;

Libraries and Citizen’s Advice Bureaux. The letter and response form were also available on the County Council’s hertsdirect website. Posters were also sent for display during the consultation period to children’s centres, toddler groups, preschools and playgroups, day nurseries, libraries, citizen advice bureaux, doctor’s surgeries, supermarkets, and coffee shops/cafes local to the schools involved.

APPENDIX B

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Responses to the consultations 5.3 A total of 303 written responses have been received to all the consultations.

Copies of all responses received are available to Members in the Members’ Lounge and will also be available to the Panel and Cabinet at the Meetings on 18 May 2015.

5.4 A detailed analysis of the response for each school is attached in Appendices

1–5, each of which will include:

a breakdown of the number of responses received, and who they are from;

an analysis of the key issues raised and the response to them;

a copy of the governing body’s response ; and

an officer conclusion and recommendation. 5.5 There has not been a large response to the consultations and the overall

response in all cases has been in favour of the proposals, as indicated in the following summary table. All but one governing body have agreed with the proposals and the remaining one is positive but provisional at this stage.

School

Total no.

letters sent

Total Responses Agree Disagree Don't Know

G.B. Response

Forres

3103 34 19 55.9 % 11 32.4% 4 11.8%

Agree

Prae Wood

2062 107 80 74.8% 20 18.7% 7 6.5%

Agree

Roman Way

2246 31 20 64.5% 5 16.1% 6 19.4%

Agree

Tannery Drift

2949 33 23 69.7% 8 24.2% 2 6.1% Agree

William Ransom

2589 98 53 54.1% 39 39.8% 6 6.1% Provisional

Total Responses

303 195 64.4%

83 27.4% 25 8.3%

5.6 Overall, there were positive comments about the proposals, welcoming the

provision of local places. Analysis of all the responses identified the most concern over the following issues, although specific responses are included in the relevant appendices:

(i) Traffic congestion/parking Assessments of highways issues will be included where town planning

applications are required for any building schemes, including any proposed mitigation measures, which will be subject to separate consultation. Assessments carried out to date have been used to inform expansion feasibility work. They are indicated in relevant appendices and

APPENDIX B

5

will be made available in the Members’ Lounge prior to the meeting. Any decision to enlarge the school would be conditional upon the receipt of town planning consent, where necessary.

(ii) Noise and disruption to children and residents during building works

The County Council works closely with schools to ensure minimal disruption during the building works. All building work carried out complies with the requirements of the Construction Design & Management Regulations (CDM) 2007 which control safety of construction work. Contractors are expected to implement the ‘Considerate Contractor’ code of practice to minimise disruption to local residents and businesses.

(iii) Impact on core facilities

Given the scale of expansion required across the County, it is not

possible to upgrade whole school sites as part of enlargement proposals. However, the physical enlargement scheme currently being developed in conjunction with the schools will ensure that sufficient additional accommodation is provided.

6. Financial Implications

Revenue funding

6.1 Revenue funding has been made available to support the feasibility work for the school expansion programme.

Capital funding

6.2 The total estimated cost of the PEP5 permanent expansion programme at this

stage is £13.02m following initial scheme design and development. These estimates are based on the value engineered tender costs within PEP4 but reflect an anticipated market position. The variances in costs reflect site specific issues, the replacement of existing mobiles and the extent of external works required. This is in part due to the increasingly limited number of deliverable options in some areas especially after four previous years of school expansions. Backlog repairs and maintenance work is not normally undertaken within expansion schemes in order to keep costs to a minimum although the cost of the William Ransom project below includes £75,000 of such work, to be funded from the repairs and maintenance budget, which will be carried out more efficiently within the expansion contract.

APPENDIX B

6

6.3 Since the previous report to Cabinet, additional allocations of basic need grant

has been received from central government. The updated summary financial position, reviewing funds available from grants, approved section 106, less existing commitments, and the proposed primary proposals above now is:

Funds available/allocated: £ 89.076m

PEP5 £13.02m

Allocation remaining: £ 76.056m

6.4 The allocation remaining will need to be used for any newly emerging primary needs for 2016/17 and for 2017/18 and a second secondary expansion programme to start from 2017/18.

6.5 It should be noted that there are early signs of market recovery and tender

returns may reflect this. 6.6 Cabinet’s approval is therefore sought to the costs of the permanent PEP5

schemes as identified in para 6.2 above. 7. Equalities 7.1 When considering proposals placed before Members it is important that they

are fully aware of, and have themselves rigorously considered the Equality implications of the decision that they are making.

7.2 Rigorous consideration will ensure that proper appreciation of any potential

impact of that decision on the County Council’s statutory obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty. As a minimum this requires decision makers to read and carefully consider the content of any Equalities Impact Assessment (EQiA) produced by officers.



Target capital

cost £m

Forres Hoddesdon

01.09.2016

0.5 f.e (to 2 f.e.) 2.429

Prae Wood St. Albans

01.09.2016

1.0 f.e. (to 2 f.e.) 2.78

Roman Way First Royston

01.09.2016

0.5 f.e. (to 2 f.e.) 2.313

Tannery Drift First Royston

01.09.2016

0.5 f.e. (to 2 f.e.)

1.455

William Ransom Hitchin

01.09.2016 0.7 f.e

(to 2 f.e.) 4.043

APPENDIX B

7

7.3 The Equality Act 2010 requires the County Council when exercising its functions to have due regard to the need to (a) eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct prohibited under the Act; (b) advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it and (c) foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. The protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 are age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation.

7.4 Equalities Impact Assessments (EqIAs) have been carried out and updated

where necessary on all proposed school expansions contained within this report. They are attached as Appendices 7a – 7f to this report and will be made available in the Members’ Lounge prior to, and at the Panel and Cabinet meetings in order that Members are fully aware of any equality issues arising from the proposals. Consideration has been given to the likely impact of the proposals, and current assessments conclude that it is not anticipated that people with protected characteristics will be affected disproportionately. The EqIAs will be continued to be reviewed and updated as necessary.

7.5 The Local Authority is bound by the Admissions Code and Regulations and this

does not allow for any discrimination in this respect. 7.6 The expansion of school premises will enable additional school places to be

made available as close as possible to the demand for them. In that way they will improve access to school places to all sectors of the communities in which they are located, and avoid very young children having to travel longer distances to access education.

7.7 The expansion of existing schools provides for enhanced education

opportunities and an enriched curriculum offer which has a positive impact on the whole school community.

7.8 School expansion schemes provide positive impacts, offering the opportunity

for improved facilities for disabled access in new buildings. Background Information Report to the Enterprise, Education and Skills Panel, 13 February 2015 CMIS > Calendar of council meetings Report to Cabinet 23 February 2015 CMIS > Calendar of council meetings EQIA Report to the Enterprise, Education and Skills Cabinet Panel, 18 May 2015

APPENDIX B



https://cmis.hertsdirect.org/hertfordshire/Calendarofcouncilmeetings/tabid/70/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/mid/397/Meeting/6/Committee/8/SelectedTab/Documents/Default.aspx

9

APPENDIX 1

FORRES PRIMARY SCHOOL: PROPOSAL TO ENLARGE THE PREMISES by 0.5 f.e. from 2016 1. Response to the consultation. 1.1 A total of 34 responses were received to the consultation, of which 55.9% were

in agreement with the proposal and 32.4% disagreed. A breakdown of the responses is shown below:

1.2 Officers attended a Governing Body meeting during the consultation period.

1.3 The Governing Body agrees with the expansion to 0.5 forms of entry. A copy of

the Governing Body’s response can be found at the end of this Appendix.

1.4 Councillor Mark Mills-Bishops, leader of Broxbourne Borough Council, has responded in agreement with this expansion. 1.5 Copies of every response received are available in the Members’ Loungeto enable Members to review the detail prior to the Cabinet Panel and Cabinet meetings.

2 Key themes raised

2.1 A number of respondents welcomed the proposals to expand Forres Primary School, highlighting the need for more places locally and agreeing that the expansion offers further opportunities for the educational improvement, enabling the school to organise in straight year groups.

2.2 The following key themes were raised and are responded to as follows: The enlargement will lead to increased levels of traffic and associated parking (including staff parking), road safety and congestion problems An independent highways assessment carried out at the initial feasibility stage indicates that whilst there are challenges, provided some mitigation measures are put in place, the highways network would cope sufficiently with the additional journeys that result from this proposed expansion.

Capacity of

respondent

Total

responses Agree Disagree

Don't

Know

Parent/carer 7 5 2 0

Governor 2 2 0 0

Member of staff 0 0 0 0

Resident 22 10 8 4

Grandparent 0 0 0 0

Other 3 2 1 0

% 55.9% 32.4% 11.8%

Total valid responses 34 19 11 4

APPENDIX B

10

The physical enlargement scheme and any associated traffic measures will be the subject of a separate town planning process. A detailed transport assessment and any required measures to mitigate the impact of additional traffic will form part of this town planning application, and part of this process will be formal consultation with the local community and the highways authority.

The school is developing a school travel plan which will proactively promote safe and sustainable travel to school. Officers are working with the school to ensure that the school travel plan takes account of the additional pupils that would result from the proposed expansion. The school travel plan will include a commitment to ensuring parents are encouraged to park safely and considerately in the surrounding areas thereby minimising inconvenience to local residents and other road users. There are other local schools more suited to enlargement Before bringing forward these proposals, school expansion options to meet rising demand were considered against the Director’s Four Tests. Forres Primary School is rated ‘Good’ by OFSTED and was identified as the most appropriate school for expansion. It is well located to meet the needs of the local community and property advice indicates that the enlargement scheme is deliverable in town planning and site capacity terms.

A summary of the options considered and the analysis of this proposal against the Director’s Four Tests can be found on the Herts Direct website. The school should not be enlarged because of existing concerns about bullying and/or poor educational standards / poor teaching / poor Ofsted rating

Forres Primary School is rated ‘Good’ by OFSTED and the County Council is confident that the school will be able to maintain its ethos and standards.

Expanding the school to 2 forms of entry offers opportunities for educational improvement, providing the school with an increased budget and greater flexibility in terms of staffing and resources; better distribution of management responsibilities; improved opportunities for staff development and a greater flexibility around the delivery of the curriculum.

3. Conclusions and recommendations 3.1 The majority of respondents (55.9%) agreed with the proposal. The most

common concerns related to highways issues including traffic congestion and parking. The issues raised have been carefully considered and responded to both here and in the body of the main report.

3.2 Having analysed all of the responses, it is the Officer’s view that in light of:

APPENDIX B

11

the full agreement of the Governing Body to the expansion;

the agreement of Broxbourne Borough Council; and

the fact that Forres Primary School is well located to meet the additional demand;

the enlargement of Forres Primary School is the right solution to provide the additional 0.5fe school places needed in Hoddesdon from 2016/17.

3.3 Issues such as the impact of this expansion on the highways network and specific proposals for building the additional accommodation required for the school to expand will be the subject of a future town planning application which will involve formal consultation with local residents and the school community. Any school enlargement decision will be conditional upon the granting of town planning permission for the building scheme proposals.

3.4 It is therefore recommended that Cabinet authorises the publication of a

statutory notice to enlarge the premises of the school from 2016/17. Governing Body Response: Received on 15th March 2015 What are your views on this proposal? Agree I am Vice Chair of the Governing Body at Forres Primary School. At present I am acting Chair and in this capacity I agree that this expansion will fulfil the future needs of the school. I have been in communication with the other members of our Governing Body (in fact this was an Agenda item at our last Full Governing Body Meeting) and they agree with this totally subject to agreement of the actual building work. It is a great opportunity for us as a school to progress forward and to meet the needs of the children and the surrounding community. We are a good school and with the possibilities surrounding the expansion we can only move forward.

APPENDIX B

13

PRAE WOOD PRIMARY SCHOOL: PROPOSAL TO ENLARGE THE PREMISES by 1 f.e. from 2016 1. Response to the consultation. 1.1 A total of 107 responses* were received to the consultation of which 74.8%

were in agreement with the proposal and 18.7% disagreed. A breakdown of the responses is shown below:

Capacity of

respondent

Total


Don't

Know


Governor 2 2 0 0


Resident 37 30 3 4

Grandparent 3 2 1 0

Other 2 0 1 1

% 74.8% 18.7% 6.5%


*110 responses were received in total, 3 of which contained no data and so have not been included in the table above.

1.2 The Governing body has indicated that it is supportive of the proposed

expansion. This is on the understanding that, in order to accommodate the additional pupils, adequate financial support and suitable infrastructure facilities are forthcoming. Infrastructure requirements are to include sufficient additional outside play areas and facilities. This is in addition to necessary additional teaching and learning facilities needed to maintain the expected high academic standards in the school. Officers will continue to work closely with the school to ensure that the project at the school provides sufficient accommodation. A copy of the Governing Body’s response can be found at the end of this Appendix.

1.3 Copies of all responses received are available in the Members’ Lounge to

enable Members to review the detail prior to the Enterprise Education and Skills Cabinet Panel and Cabinet meetings.

2. Key themes raised 2.1 The most common response was to welcome the proposal (local schools for

local Children). The new housing development at King Harry Park, along with the previous temporary uplifts in the school’s intake in recent years, has raised awareness of the growing demand for primary places within the local community. This demand is substantiated by the pupil forecast and GP registration data for the area and the expansion is proposed to serve a local

APPENDIX B

14

need, an approach which has been supported by parents living close to the school.

2.2 The following key themes were raised and a response to them provided below.

The enlargement will lead to increased levels of traffic and associated parking (including staff parking), road safety and congestion problems An independent transport assessment indicates that whilst there are challenges, provided some mitigation measures are put in place, the highways network would cope sufficiently with the additional impact as a result of this proposed expansion. The physical enlargement scheme and any associated traffic measures will be the subject of a separate town planning process. A detailed transport assessment and any required measures to mitigate the impact of additional traffic will form part of this town planning application. A part of that process will be formal consultation with the local community and the highways authority. The school has a school travel plan which proactively promotes safe and sustainable travel to school and will be reviewed to take account of the additional pupils. The school travel plan will include a commitment to ensuring parents are encouraged to park safely and considerately in the surrounding areas thereby minimising inconvenience and access issues for local residents and other road users. Enlargement will result in insufficient core facilities e.g. dining room, hall, playground The physical enlargement scheme currently being developed in conjunction with the school will ensure that sufficient additional accommodation is provided.

The current enlargement proposals include additional permanent classrooms with associated cloaks/toilets appropriate to the number of additional children, additional multi-use group/resource spaces for small group activity, and an activity studio. Current temporary mobile classrooms will be replaced with permanent buildings. The school will be provided with further capital funding which it can use to improve their existing facilities.

The site is not large enough to accommodate the proposed enlargement / Enlargement will result in the loss of outside space/playing field

When considering potential options for enlargement an initial amount of feasibility is undertaken to confirm that the school has a site which physically would be capable of expansion. Prae Wood, although a challenging site, is capable of expanding. If the decision is made to enlarge Prae Wood, officers would continue to work closely with the school and other relevant consultees, including Sport England,

APPENDIX B

15

to develop an enlargement scheme that ensures the accommodation supports pupils’ needs. This would include the retention of a pitch and provision of additional hard play. Sport England is also a statutory consultee and advice will be sought with regard to the adequacy of the available playing field and the County Council will work with it to ensure that the school has adequate access to playing field space to properly deliver the PE curriculum. The final details of this physical enlargement scheme will be made available as part of the separate town planning process.

Noise and disruption to children and residents during building works The County Council will work closely with the school to ensure minimal disruption during the building works. Modern construction methods, including off-site build solutions, can significantly reduce the amount of time building contractors are required on site. The building project team will manage the construction to ensure minimum disruption to the operation of the school. If expansion goes ahead the design team will work with the school to ensure that any pupils with special needs and disabilities can be supported during the building works so that the impact upon them is minimised. All building work carried out under the control of Hertfordshire County Council complies with the requirements of the Construction Design & Management Regulations (CDM) 2007 which control safety of construction work. These CDM Regulations (which will be replaced nationally with a similar arrangement from September 2015) require that from the earliest stages of a project a specialist in construction safety is appointed to the design team to ensure that the works are designed to minimise the risk of accidents. The CDM Regulations also require the County Council to employ competent designers and contractors; all our consultant designers and contractors are appointed through long term framework agreements which require regular assessment of safety management. Contractors are expected to implement the ‘Considerate Contractor’ code of practice to minimise disruption to local residents and businesses. In addition to the requirements of the regulations the County Council employs its own specialist Health and Safety advisors who are extremely well experienced in the particular requirements of construction work in a live school environment.

Expanding the school will adversely affect its small-school ethos i.e. the school is large enough already / Enlargement will lead to a decline in school standards, including educational standards.

Prae Wood school has already temporarily expanded in four previous years to deal with local demand as well as 1 f.e. for September 2015. It therefore

APPENDIX B

16

operates a number of its cohorts as 1.5 and 2 forms of entry (f.e.). The school is therefore well placed to make the transition to a permanent size of 2 f.e. Permanent expansion to 2 f.e. will allow the school more flexibility to offer a broad curriculum for teaching and learning, as well as improved opportunities for staff development. There is not a direct relationship between the size of a school, the standards it achieves and its overall effectiveness. Schools of differing sizes can, and do, perform very well. The key factors which contribute to school standards and effectiveness are the quality of leadership and management, and of learning and teaching. Where these factors are equal, larger schools have some significant benefits. The larger budget provides greater flexibility in terms of staffing and resources (including SEN provision and school clubs); there is a better distribution of management responsibilities; there are improved opportunities for staff promotion within the school leading to better capacity to sustain leadership; and consequently the school is less vulnerable to turbulence. The County Council is confident that Prae Wood School will maintain its ethos and standards, particularly given that it has already met the challenges posed by providing additional temporary places for four years. There was insufficient information provided by the council to enable consultees to make an informed decision

Public consultation on the principle of enlargement of Prae Wood School began on 24 February 2015 and ended on 10 April 2015. www.hertsdirect.org/your-council/consult/schoolsconsult/praewoodcons/.

The consultation letter outlined the proposal to expand the school and by when, and indicated the need for additional buildings and play space for these extra children. It also made it clear that the details of any building proposals (including highways assessments) would be subject to another a separate town planning process, which would include further formal consultation with local residents and the school community.

In addition, there will be another opportunity to comment on the enlargement proposals during the statutory notice period commencing 25 May 2015 for 4 weeks, providing a further opportunity for people to express their views which would be taken into account in the County Council's final decision.

Concern that the council's data, including the forecast, is incorrect/inaccurate In line with the rest of the Country, in the past Hertfordshire experienced falling demand for primary school places.. The national and local situation has now changed; demand for places has increased and will increase further. The picture varies across the County and change can be rapid and unpredictable.

APPENDIX B

http://www.hertsdirect.org/your-council/consult/schoolsconsult/praewoodcons/

17

Local forecasts of pupil numbers in each area are made every six months using a software system. Officers take the following datasets into account within their forecasting methodology:

0-5 year olds registered with GPs

primary pupils moving on to secondary schools

trends, including migration to and from other authorities and the

independent sector; and

an assumed pupil yield from new or planned housing developments.

However good the forecasting methodology, it is inevitable that forecasts in some areas will change over time. The smaller the area, the greater the random changes over time in the numbers of births. Communities can change rapidly with migration or new generations of young people moving in. It is essential to continually review proposals for (both temporary and permanent) additional or reduced places to make sure they are best-tailored to meet the changing forecast of demand. In recent years additional temporary places (0.5 f.e. and 1 f.e,) have been provided at Prae Wood to meet an increasing local need. Additional temporary and permanent accommodation, partially funded by developer contributions, has been provided on site. The most recent data indicates a sustained local need for an additional 1 f.e. of permanent places, which this permanent expansion proposal seeks to address. It would be better to build a new school Based on forecast demand, officers are proposing an additional 1 f.e. of permanent primary provision across the area to meet the long term demand. Analysis of where pre-school aged children live in this area confirms that there is a significant number of children for whom Prae Wood Primary School is the nearest school. The County Council sees significant benefits to achieving an additional form of entry through the expansion of existing good, local schools where the leadership and governance structures are in place to build on current success. In educational, sustainability and value for money terms, it would not consider endorsing the provision of a new one form entry school, or a split-site school, where there is a good expansion solution available within a reasonable distance of the demand and which meets its preference to provide primary schools of at least 2 fe where possible.

There are other local schools more suited to enlargement Analysis of where pre-school aged children live in this area confirms that there are a significant number of children for whom Prae Wood Primary School is the nearest school. Potential options for meeting this need were considered against the Director’s four tests and Prae Wood was identified as the closest

APPENDIX B

18

school to areas with a forecast deficit of places that has potential capacity to expand. A summary of the options considered and the analysis of this proposal against the County Council’s four tests can be found on the Herts Direct at: www.hertsdirect.org/docs/pdf/f/stalb4tests.pdf

2.3 Other issues raised by a small number of respondents included: collision

related incidents due to over-crowding in the playground; and the impact on customers at a nearby supermarket.

3. Conclusions and recommendations

3.1 The majority (74.8%) of respondents agreed with the proposal to enlarge Prae

Wood Primary and the key issues raised were concerned with highways or the suitability of the core facilities and site for two forms of entry. The issues raised have been carefully considered and responded to both here and in the body of the main report.

3.2 The Governing Body is supportive to the proposal to expand and it is

anticipated suitable mitigation measures will be identified to address the highways issues identified on the site.

3.3 Having analysed all of the responses, it is the officer’s view that in light of:

the supportive Governing Body response to the expansion; and

the fact that Prae Wood Primary School is well located to meet the additional demand;

the enlargement of Prae Wood Primary School is the right solution to provide an additional 1 f.e’ of school places needed in St Michaels Primary Planning Area.


3.5 Given the overwhelming majority of favourable consultation responses and the

support of the Governing Body the officer recommendation is to proceed to the next stage.

APPENDIX B

http://www.hertsdirect.org/docs/pdf/f/stalb4tests.pdf

19

Governing Body Response: Received on 23rd March 2015 What are your views on this proposal? Agree The Governors continue to be in favour of proposals to increase to a 2FE in order to meet the need for school places in the local community. We are conscious of the challenging aspects of the site and note that property advice indicates the site is capable of expansion with potential access to additional playing facilities. As a Governing Body we will work alongside the school and County to ensure that the facilities provided are sufficient to ensure the continuing success of the school. We would expect this to include sufficient extra space to maintain high standards of teaching and learning, financial support to adapt the existing school building to meet the needs of the children and additional play/outdoor facilities to accommodate the extra children. We note that the County Council will would work closely with the school to provide the additional accommodation required and that the work would be managed by the County Council using contractors who would ensure a safe environment for pupils and staff, and minimise the impact of any building works at the school.

APPENDIX B

21

ROMAN WAY FIRST SCHOOL: PROPOSAL TO ENLARGE THE PREMISES by 0.5 f.e. from 2016 1. Response to the consultation. 1.1 A total of 31 responses were received to the consultation of which 64.5% were


1.2 Officers offered to attend a Governing Body meeting during the consultation

period but this was not felt to be necessary.

1.3 The Governing Body agrees with the expansion by 0.5 form of entry to 2 forms of entry. A copy of the Governing Body’s response can be found at the end of this Appendix.

1.4 Copies of every response received are available in the Members’ Loungeto enable Members to review the detail prior to the Enterprise Education and Skills Cabinet Panel and Cabinet meetings.

2. Key themes raised 2.1 A number of respondents welcomed the proposals to expand Roman Way First

School highlighting the need for more places locally and agreeing that the expansion offers further opportunities for the educational improvement, enabling the school to organise in straight year groups.

2.2 The following key issues were raised and a response to them provided below:

The enlargement will lead to increased levels of traffic and associated parking (including staff parking), road safety and congestion problems An independent highways assessment carried out at the initial feasibility stage indicates that whilst there are challenges, provided some mitigation measures

Capacity of

respondent

Total


Don't

Know


Governor 1 1 0 0


Resident 20 11 3 6

Grandparent 1 1 0 0

Other 1 1 0 0

% 64.5% 16.1% 19.4%


APPENDIX B

22

are put in place, the highways network would cope sufficiently with the additional journeys that result from this proposed expansion. The physical enlargement scheme and any associated traffic measures will be the subject of a separate town planning process. A detailed transport assessment and any required measures to mitigate the impact of additional traffic will form part of this town planning application, and a part of this process will be a formal consultation with the local community and the highways authority. The school is developing a school travel plan which will proactively promote safe and sustainable travel to school. Officers are working with the school to ensure the school travel plan takes account of the additional pupils that would result from the proposed expansion. The school travel plan will include a commitment to ensuring parents are encouraged to park safely and considerately in the surrounding areas thereby minimising inconvenience to local residents and other road users. Enlargement will result in insufficient core facilities e.g. dining room, hall, playground The physical enlargement scheme currently being developed in conjunction with the school will ensure that sufficient additional accommodation is provided. The current enlargement proposals include additional, permanent classrooms with associated cloaks/toilets appropriate to the number of additional children and additional spaces for small group activity. Current temporary mobile classrooms will be replaced with permanent buildings. In addition, the school will be provided with further capital funding which they can use to improve their existing facilities. The school site is considered to have the capacity to expand to 2f.e. and additional hard play space will be provided as a proportion to the number of additional pupils that will arise from the expansion. Sport England’s advice will be sought with regard to the adequacy of the available playing field. Concern that additional places will go to non-local children The reason for the proposal to expand the school is to meet the increase in demand for school places locally. The County Council works closely with schools to provide an appropriate number of places as close as possible to areas of demand. Roman Way First School uses Hertfordshire County Council’s admission rules and is therefore included in the definition of “nearest school” for admission allocation purposes.

APPENDIX B

23

2.3 Other issues raised by one or two people were: litter in the local area; children congregating in the area; noise arising from the nearby BMX track; the value and saleability of houses in the local area as well as a comment that other schools are more suited to enlargement and concerns over educational standards.


common concern related to increased traffic congestion and parking and the issues raised have been carefully considered and responded to both here and in the body of the main report.


the agreement of the Governing Body to the expansion; and

the fact that Roman Way First School is well located to meet the additional demand;

the enlargement of Roman Way First School is the right solution to provide an additional 0.5 f.e. of school places needed in Royston from 2016/17.

3.3 Issues such as the impact of this expansion on the highways network and

specific proposal for building the additional accommodation required for the school to expand will be the subject of a future town planning application which will involve formal consultation with local residents and the school community. Any school enlargement decision will be conditional upon the granting of town planning permission for the building scheme proposals.


statutory notice to enlarge the premises of the school from 2016/17. Governing Body Response: Received on 26th March 2015 What are your views on this proposal? Agree The Governing Body of Roman Way is in agreement to the proposed plans to expand the school as set out in the consultation. We are happy to support this proposal as it will allow us some exciting opportunities to enhance our strategic plans and those we have already set out in our development plans. We would trust that all would be done to create the additional facilities and resources required, in order to avoid any pressures on the existing facilities. In particular with regard to our current Reception class area, office and staffroom, to allow the school to continue to function to its full potential. As well as benefits to our staff, pupils, parents and the wider community we would be keen to make full use of this to move forward with our vision, for our already thriving school, in the future.

APPENDIX B

25

TANNERY DRIFT FIRST SCHOOL: PROPOSAL TO ENLARGE THE PREMISES by 0.5 f.e. from 2016 1. Response to the consultation. 1.1 A total of 33 responses were received to the consultation of which 69.7% were


1.2 Officers offered to attend a Governing Body meeting during the consultation period but this was not taken up.

1.3 The Governing Body agrees with the expansion by 0.5 form of entry to 2 forms of entry. A copy of the Governing Body’s response can be found at the end of this Appendix.

1.4 Royston Town Council has responded in favour of the proposal.

1.5 Copies of every response received are available in the Members Room to enable Members to review the detail prior to the Enterprise, Education and Skills Cabinet Panel and Cabinet meetings.

2. Key themes raised 2.1 A number of respondents welcomed the proposals to expand Tannery Drift

First School highlighting the need for more places locally, particularly in light of the housing growth in the town, and agreeing that the expansion offers further opportunities for the educational improvement, enabling the school to organise in straight year groups.

2.2 The following key themes were raised and a response to them provided below:

Capacity of

respondent

Total


Don't

Know


Governor 1 1 0 0


Resident 19 13 6 0

Grandparent 0 0 0 0

Other 2 1 0 1

% 69.7% 24.2% 6.1%


APPENDIX B

26

Noise and disruption to children and residents during building works The proposed design and location of the new school accommodation will be subject to a separate town planning process, with views of local residents sought through a formal consultation as part of that process. Officers will work closely to ensure that the new building is acceptable in town planning terms and any adverse impact on local residents arising from the school expansion is minimised.

The County Council will work closely with the school to ensure minimal disruption during the building works. All building work carried out under the control of Hertfordshire County Council complies with the requirements of the Construction Design & Management Regulations (CDM) 2007 which control safety of construction work. These CDM Regulations (which will be replaced nationally with a similar arrangement from September 2015) require that from the earliest stages of a project a specialist in construction safety is appointed to the design team to ensure that the works are designed to minimise the risk of accidents. The CDM Regulations also require the County Council to employ competent designers and contractors: all consultant designers and contractors are appointed through long term framework agreements which require regular assessment of safety management. Contractors are expected to implement the ‘Considerate Contractor’ code of practice to minimise disruption to local residents and businesses.

In addition to the requirements of the regulations the County Council employs its own specialist Health and Safety advisors who are extremely experienced in the particular requirements of construction work in a live school environment.

The enlargement will lead to increased levels of traffic and associated

parking (including staff parking), road safety and congestion problems An independent highways assessment carried out at the initial feasibility stage indicates that whilst there are challenges, provided some mitigation measures are put in place, the highways network would cope sufficiently with the additional journeys that result from this proposed expansion.

The physical enlargement scheme and any associated traffic measures will be the subject of a separate town planning process. A detailed transport assessment and any required measures to mitigate the impact of additional traffic will form part of this town planning application and a part of this process will be a formal consultation with the local community and the highways authority.

The school is developing a school travel plan which will proactively promote safe and sustainable travel to school. Officers are working with the school to ensure the school travel plan takes account of the additional pupils that would result from the proposed expansion. The school travel plan will include a commitment to ensuring parents are encouraged to park safely and

APPENDIX B

27

considerately in the surrounding areas thereby minimising inconvenience to local residents and other road users.

2.3 Other issues raised by one or two people were: there being insufficient

information to enable consultees to make an informed decision, the value and saleability of houses in the local area and the availability of wrap around childcare at the school in terms of breakfast and afterschool clubs, as well as the enlargement resulting in insufficient core facilities and loss of outside play space.


common concern related to increased traffic congestion and parking. The issues raised have been carefully considered and responded to both here and in the body of the main report.


the agreement of the Governing Body to the expansion; and

the fact that Tannery Drift First School is well located to meet the additional demand;

the enlargement of Tannery Drift First School is the right solution to provide an additional 0.5fe of school places needed in Royston from 2016/17.

3.3 Issues such as the impact of this expansion on the highways network and

specific proposal for building the additional accommodation required for the school to expand will be the subject of a future town planning application which will involve formal consultation with local residents and the school community. Any school enlargement decision will be conditional upon the granting of town planning permission for the building scheme proposals.


statutory notice to enlarge the premises of the school from 2016/17. Governing Body Response: Received on 16th March 2015 What are your views on this proposal? Agree I am writing to confirm that the Governing Body of Tannery Drift First School agree with the proposed expansion of the school to two form entry from September 2016. We are strongly supportive of the plans, and keen to embrace the opportunities the expansion will bring to the school in the long term. Governors have been involved in the meetings that have taken place so far to discuss the plans and will continue to be closely involved throughout the project.

APPENDIX B

28

We would like to emphasise that we consider the school's outside space a key asset of the school, and a factor in parents deciding to choose Tannery Drift for their children. In particular, the variety of environments we have at our disposal (playground space, playing fields, nature area etc) is very important and we are keen to ensure that, whilst additional buildings will inevitably reduce the amount of space available, that the balance is maintained (for example, not losing significant playground space to buildings/car parking).

APPENDIX B

29

WILLIAM RANSOM PRIMARY SCHOOL: PROPOSAL TO ENLARGE THE PREMISES by 0.73 f.e. from 2016 1. Response to the consultation. 1.1 A total of 98 responses were received to the consultation of which 54.1% were


1.2 Officers offered to attend a Governing Body meeting during the consultation

period but this was not taken up. 1.3 The Governing body has indicated that it is positive about the proposed

expansion by 0.73 forms of entry to 2 forms of entry; however their response is provisional at present. The Governing body wish to secure adequate financial support, suitable infrastructure facilities and the necessary additional teaching and learning facilities that they believe is needed to accommodate the additional pupils whilst maintaining the expected high academic standards at the school. Officers will continue to work closely with the school to develop design proposals for the additional accommodation required to maintain these educational standards. A copy of the Governing Body’s response can be found at the end of this Appendix.

1.4 St Ippolyts Parish Council has responded in favour of the proposal.

1.5 Copies of every response received are available in the Members’ Lounge to enable Members to review the detail prior to the Enterprise, Education and Skills Cabinet Panel and Cabinet meetings.

2. Key themes raised 2.1 A number of respondents welcomed the proposals to expand William Ransom

Primary School highlighting the need for more places locally, and agreeing that the expansion offers further opportunities for the educational improvement of this OFSTED outstanding school.

Capacity of

respondent

Total


Don't

Know


Governor 1 1 0 0


Resident 45 22 22 1

Grandparent 1 1 0 0

Other 7 5 2 0

% 54.1% 39.8% 6.1%


APPENDIX B

30

2.2 The following key themes were raised and a response to them provided below:

The enlargement will lead to increased levels of traffic and associated parking (including staff parking), road safety and congestion problems An independent highways assessment carried out at the initial feasibility stage indicates that whilst there are challenges, provided some mitigation measures are put in place, the highways network would cope sufficiently with the additional journeys that result from this proposed expansion. The physical enlargement scheme and any associated traffic measures will be the subject of a separate town planning process. A detailed transport assessment and any required measures to mitigate the impact of additional traffic will form part of this town planning application, and a part of this process will be a formal consultation with the local community and the highways authority. The school is developing a school travel plan which will proactively promote safe and sustainable travel to school. Officers are working with the school to ensure the school travel plan takes account of the additional pupils that would result from the proposed expansion. Noise and disruption to children and residents during building works The proposed design and location of the new school accommodation will be subject to a separate town planning process, with views of local residents sought through a formal consultation as part of that process. Officers will work closely to ensure that the new building is acceptable in town planning terms and any adverse impact on local residents arising from the school expansion is minimised. The County Council will work closely with the school to ensure minimal disruption during the building works. Modern construction methods, including an off-site build solution, can significantly reduce the amount of time building contractors are required on site. The building project team will manage the construction to ensure minimum disruption to the operation of the school. All building work carried out under the control of Hertfordshire County Council complies with the requirements of the Construction Design & Management Regulations (CDM) 2007 which control safety of construction work. These CDM Regulations (which will be replaced nationally with a similar arrangement from September 2015) require that from the earliest stages of a project a specialist in construction safety is appointed to the design team to ensure that the works are designed to minimise the risk of accidents. The CDM Regulations also require the county council to employ competent designers and contractors: all consultant designers and contractors are appointed through long term framework agreements which require regular assessment of safety management. Contractors are expected to implement the ‘Considerate

APPENDIX B

31

Contractor’ code of practice to minimise disruption to local residents and businesses. In addition to the requirements of the regulations the County Council employs its own specialist Health and Safety advisors who are extremely experienced in the particular requirements of construction work in a live school environment.

Concern that additional places will go to non-local children The reason for the proposal to expand the school is to meet the increase in demand for school places locally. The County Council works closely with schools to provide an appropriate number of places as close as possible to areas of demand. William Ransom is well located in an area of need to meet this local demand and, as a community school uses Hertfordshire County Council’s admissions arrangements with the definition of “nearest school” for admission allocation purposes, therefore prioritising applications based on distance. Expanding the school will adversely affect its small-school ethos i.e. the school is large enough already Permanent expansion to 2 forms of entry will allow the school more flexibility to offer a broad curriculum for teaching and learning, as well as improved opportunities for staff development. There is not a direct relationship between the size of a school, the standards it achieves and its overall effectiveness. Schools of differing sizes can, and do, perform very well. The key factors which contribute to school standards and effectiveness are the quality of leadership and management, and of learning and teaching. Where these factors are equal, larger schools have some significant benefits. The larger budget provides greater flexibility in terms of staffing and resources; there is a better distribution of management responsibilities; there are improved opportunities for staff promotion within the school leading to better capacity to sustain leadership; and consequently the school is less vulnerable to turbulence. The County Council is confident that William Ransom Primary School will maintain its ethos and standards. Concern that enlargement could result in the loss of outside space/playing field or lead to insufficient outdoor space for play/games If this proposal proceeds, the County Council will ensure that there is sufficient hard play for the additional pupils, as well as playing field space. Additional hard play space will be provided as a proportion to the number of additional pupils that will arise from the expansion. Sport England is also a statutory consultee and advice will be sought with regard to the adequacy of the available playing field and the county council will

APPENDIX B

32

work with it to ensure that the school has adequate access to playing field space to properly deliver the PE curriculum. The details of this physical enlargement scheme will be made available as part of the separate town planning process. Concern that enlargement could result in insufficient core facilities e.g. dining room and hall The physical enlargement scheme currently being developed in conjunction with the school will ensure that sufficient additional accommodation is provided. The enlargement design proposals will include additional permanent classrooms with associated cloaks/toilets appropriate to the number of additional children and additional spaces for small group activity. Current temporary mobile classrooms will be replaced with permanent buildings. The Governing Body has made it clear in its response to this proposal that suitable infrastructure facilities and the necessary additional teaching and learning facilities needed to maintain the expected high academic standards at the school are required. The County Council continues to work closely with the school to develop design proposals for the additional accommodation required, ensuring efficient building design, the most effective use of the school’s external areas and that the design solution meets the education needs of the school. There was insufficient information provided by the council to enable consultees to make an informed decision Public consultation on the principle of enlargement began on 24 February 2015 and ended on 10 April 2015 (http://www.hertsdirect.org/your-council/consult/schoolsconsult/williamranscons/). The consultation letter outlined the proposal to expand the school and by when, and indicated the need for additional buildings and play space for these extra children. It also made it clear that the details of any building proposals (including highways assessments) were subject to another, separate, town planning process which would include further formal consultation with local residents and the school community. In addition, there will be another opportunity to comment on the enlargement proposals during the statutory notice period commencing 25 May 2015 for 4 weeks, providing a further opportunity for people to express their views which would be taken into account in the County Council's final decision. Concern that enlargement will lead to a decline in school standards including educational standards There is no direct relationship between the size of a school, the standards it achieves and its overall effectiveness. Schools of differing sizes can, and do,

APPENDIX B

http://www.hertsdirect.org/your-council/consult/schoolsconsult/williamranscons/

http://www.hertsdirect.org/your-council/consult/schoolsconsult/williamranscons/

33

perform very well. The key factors which contribute to school standards and effectiveness are the quality of leadership and management, and of learning and teaching. Where these factors are equal, larger schools have some significant benefits. The larger budget provides greater flexibility in terms of staffing and resources; there is a better distribution of management responsibilities; there are improved opportunities for staff promotion within the school leading to better capacity to sustain leadership; and consequently the school is less vulnerable to turbulence. Expansion to 2 forms of entry (f.e.) allows the school greater flexibility to offer a broad curriculum for teaching and learning, as well as improved opportunities for staff development. William Ransom Primary School is rated ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED and the County Council is confident that the school will be able to maintain its ethos and standards.

2.3 Other issues raised by a small number of respondents included: the value and

saleability of houses in the local area as a result of enlarging the school; access to school field during summer term and how this might impact upon the school summer fete which is a big fundraising opportunity for the school; concern around the forecast demand and that enlarging one local school will lead to a drop in the numbers of pupils going to other local primary schools; and the availability of increased wrap around childcare at the school in terms of breakfast and afterschool clubs.

3. Conclusions 3.1 A majority of respondents agreed with the proposal to enlarge William Ransom

Primary School. The most common concerns related to increased traffic congestion and parking, the suitability of the core facilities for 2 forms of entry, noise and disruption to children and residents during building works and a decline in school standards including educational standards. The issues raised have been carefully considered and responded to both here and in the body of the main report.

3.2 Although not unsupportive of expansion in principle, the Governing Body is

seeking agreement for a ‘suitable proposal’ in building design terms before committing itself to expansion of the school.

3.3 Having analysed all of the responses, it is the officer’s view that in light of:

the Governing Body response to the expansion; and

the fact that William Ransom Primary School is well located to meet the additional demand;

the enlargement of William Ransom Primary School is the right solution to provide an additional 0.7 f.e. of school places needed in Hitchin from 2016/17.

APPENDIX B

34



statutory notice to enlarge the premises of the school from 2016/17. Governing Body Response: Received on 9th March 2015 What are your views on this proposal?

The Governing Body is focussed on working with the Headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure that the provision of the current “outstanding” level of education is maintained at William Ransom. Every year application for places is oversubscribed and the Governing Body welcomes the opportunity for the school to provide even more children with this outstanding level of education. To do so, it is imperative that the appropriate infrastructure and educational resources are in place to enable the delivery of the national curriculum and maintain the ethos of the school. The Governing Body will not allow any compromise in these standards. The high level building plans supporting the proposed expansion seen to date have been encouraging; however, there are still some outstanding issues which require resolution. These include, clarification on some of the facilities and confirmation on the amount of funding the school will receive to ensure the existing building and associated ancillary equipment are brought up to the same standards as the new classroom block. Also, with the deadline for the response fast approaching, HCC has not confirmed at this time to the availability of the capital funding required for the whole expansion programme. Whilst in principle therefore the Governing Body is positive about the possible expansion to two form entry, it would only be able to support the proposal once all conditions material to ensuring excellent educational standards have been met. Plans for the whole school infrastructure will need to be agreed and confirmation received that the total required funding has been sanctioned and ring-fenced, with no liability to the school. William Ransom School has always acted as a good neighbour to the local community and it would be remiss of us not to recognise that should the expansion proceed, there will be additional inconvenience to those living nearby both during the extensive building programme and afterwards as the School gradually expands. It will be critical to the success of any potential expansion, as was seen at Samuel Lucas recently, that problems are identified early and any inconvenience is carefully managed. HCC will need to ensure everything is done to minimise the risks and environmental impacts and that the local community are kept fully informed.

APPENDIX B

35

The Governing Body will continue to work with HCC on the expansion planning in good faith, not least because it will not be possible to have answers to some of these essential conditions until further into the process. The Governing Body will continue to review all the information provided to them by HCC as it arises, as this may influence any final decision the Governing Body will take.

APPENDIX B

1

County HallHertford, SG13 8DF

Tel: 0300 123 4043

My ref: School Planning

Date: 24 February 2015

Dear Consultee

Consultation on the proposal to enlarge the premises of Forres PrimarySchool, Stanstead Road, Hoddesdon, EN11 0RW.

We are consulting you on the following proposal:

the enlargement of the premises of Forres Primary School, Stanstead Road,Hoddesdon, EN11 0RW by 15 places (0.5 forms of entry) from September 2016.

The proposal will support a permanent increase in the size of this school by 15places (0.5 forms of entry*). This means the school will then have the capacity toadmit 60 reception aged children in September 2016 and in each subsequent yearthereafter, growing to a full 2 form entry school (with 420 places available) bySeptember 2022. The current capacity of the school is 315 and the eventual capacitywill be 420 pupils.

The school does not currently have enough classrooms to accommodate the extrachildren. It is therefore proposed to provide additional accommodation andassociated external play space to support the increased number of children.

Why is this being proposed?

In line with recent national trends we are now seeing a significant increase inthe demand for reception class places in parts of Hertfordshire and this is forecast toincrease further. The county council considers it important to ensure that there aresufficient places available for very young children as near as possible to their homes.There is more information on how we plan to meet the rising demand for schoolplaces and our methods for forecasting at www.hertsdirect.org/schoolplaces.

* Half a form of entry (f.e.) is 15 pupils per year group. One form of entry is 30 pupilsper year group

2

The position in Hoddesdon

The total number of permanent reception places available across the Hoddesdonarea is: 435. The following table shows the forecast demand for places and thesurplus or shortfall based on the current number of permanent reception placesavailable.

Autumn Term 2014forecast

2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19

Demand 434 447 427 462

Surplus/Shortage 1 -12 8 -27

Based on forecast demand, we are proposing an additional 0.5 f.e. of permanentprimary provision across the area to meet demand from September 2016. Analysisof where pre-school aged children live across the area confirms there is a significantnumber of children for whom Forres Primary School is their closest school.

In order to ensure that the permanent demand can be met locally, the county councilis proposing to permanently increase the number of reception places available atForres Primary School from 45 to 60 from September 2016.

The county council will continue to monitor demand closely and put in placeadditional temporary arrangements if required.

Why this school has been chosen for enlargement

The proposal to enlarge this school has been assessed against, and is considered tomeet, the Director of Education and Early Intervention’s Four Tests. These are:

Does it provide the right number of places in the right location? Does it support and not undermine school effectiveness? Are the implications for buildings, environment and cost feasible and

affordable? What are the transitional implications?

Forres Primary School has been selected as it is located close to the area ofdemand. Initial feasibility work concludes that the site is capable of accommodatingan enlargement, subject to further design work and town planning permission. Anincrease of 0.5 f.e. will mean the school becoming 2 f.e. permanently which is thecounty council’s preferred size, offering a broad curriculum and enhancedopportunities for staff development. The proposed enlargement will provide theopportunity for pupils to be taught in straight year groups.

For further information on the possible options that were considered, please seewww.hertsdirect.org/schoolplaces. Frequently asked questions are also availablethrough this link.

3

The alterations required for enlargement

If a decision is made to enlarge this school, the county council would work closelywith the school to provide the additional accommodation required. We would workhard to make sure that the accommodation supports pupils’ needs whilst alsoensuring that good value for money is achieved in the context of restrictions onpublic sector finance. The work would be managed by the county council usingcontractors who would ensure a safe environment for pupils and staff, and minimisethe impact of any building works at the school.

Planning permission will be required for any building work which would mean thatthere would be a separate consultation locally through the town planning system onthe details of any proposed building work. Any specific town planning mattersassociated with this school site would need to be addressed as part of the planningapplication, including highways, parking and conservation issues.

Have your say

The county council believes that the enlargement of Forres Primary School will havea positive impact for its existing pupils, staff and local community by improvingaccess to school places, providing for enhanced education opportunities and forimproved facilities in new buildings.

You have until 10 April 2015 to let us know your views. The easiest way you can dothis is by completing the online form on our website athttps://consult.hertsdirect.org/consultations. You can tell us if you agree or disagreewith the proposal and leave your comments.

If you do not have access to the internet you can visit your local library where freeaccess is available to all Hertfordshire residents. Should you wish to request a hardcopy of the response form, you can email [email protected] oralternatively you can call us on 0300 123 4043. If you need help to understand thisinformation, please contact the customer service centre on 0300 123 4043. Aninterpreting service is available for those who need it.

Your comments must be received by 10 April 2015. We will not be able toacknowledge or respond individually to your comments but they will be taken intoaccount, as explained below.

How the decision will be taken

This is a consultation and no decision has been made yet. All comments receivedwill be made available to elected members who make the final decision. Allresponses may be made available in public reports, although personal details will beremoved to respect individual privacy.

4

The following timetable outlines the decision-making process. Please note thatmeetings marked with * will be open to the public. Although it will not be possible toinform everyone individually of the decisions made, you will be able to access thisinformation throughout the process at: http://www.hertsdirect.org/your-council/civic_calendar/.

Process Date

Public consultation 24 February – 10 April 2015

Education Panel* 18 May 2015

Cabinet* 18 May 2015

Statutory notice period (4 weeks) Week commencing 25 May 2015

Cabinet * (for final approval ifobjections received)

13 July 2015

Implementation September 2016

Yours faithfully

Andrew SimmonsDeputy Director for Children’s Services, Education

1

APPENDIX C

County HallHertford, SG13 8DF

Tel: 0300 123 4043

My ref: School Planning

Date: 24 February 2015

Dear Consultee

Consultation on the proposal to enlarge the premises of Roman Way FirstSchool, Burns Road, Royston, SG8 5EQ.

We are consulting you on the following proposal:

the enlargement of the premises of Roman Way First School, Burns Road,Royston, SG8 5EQ by 15 places (0.5 forms of entry) from September 2016.

The proposal will support a permanent increase in the size of this school by 15places (0.5 forms of entry*). This means the school will then have the capacity toadmit 60 reception aged children in September 2016 and in each subsequent yearthereafter, growing to a full 2 form entry school (with 300 places available) bySeptember 2020. The current capacity of the school is 225 and the eventual capacitywill be 300 pupils (excluding Nursery pupils).

The school does not currently have enough classrooms to accommodate the extrachildren. It is therefore proposed to provide additional accommodation andassociated external play space to support the increased number of children.

Why is this being proposed?

In line with recent national trends we are now seeing a significant increase in thedemand for reception class places in parts of Hertfordshire and this is forecast toincrease further. The county council considers it important to ensure that there aresufficient places available for very young children as near as possible to their homes.There is more information on how we plan to meet the rising demand for schoolplaces and our methods for forecasting at www.hertsdirect.org/schoolplaces.

* Half a form of entry (f.e.) is 15 pupils per year group. One form of entry is 30 pupilsper year group

2

The position in Royston Town

The total number of permanent reception places available across Royston town is:210. The following table shows the forecast demand for places and the surplus orshortfall based on the current number of permanent reception places available.

Autumn Term 2014forecast

2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19

Demand 211 238 224 207

Surplus/Shortage -1 -28 -14 3

Based on forecast demand, we are proposing an additional 1 f.e. of permanent firstschool provision across the area to meet demand from September 2016. Analysis ofwhere pre-school aged children live across the area confirms a significant part of thisdemand is concentrated around Tannery Drift First School and Roman Way FirstSchool to the north and west of the town.

In order to ensure that the permanent demand can be met locally, the county councilis proposing to permanently enlarge Roman Way First School to enable it to increasethe number of reception places available from 45 to 60 from September 2016. Thecounty council is consulting separately on the permanent enlargement of TanneryDrift First School to enable it to increase its reception places on offer from 45 to 60,also from September 2016.

The county council will continue to monitor demand closely and put in placeadditional temporary arrangements if required.

Why this school has been chosen for enlargement

The proposal to enlarge this school has been assessed against, and is considered tomeet, the Director of Education and Early Intervention’s Four Tests. These are:

Does it provide the right number of places in the right location? Does it support and not undermine school effectiveness? Are the implications for buildings, environment and cost feasible and

affordable? What are the transitional implications?

Roman Way First School has been selected as it is located close to the area ofdemand. Initial feasibility work concludes that the site is capable of accommodatingan enlargement, subject to further design work and town planning permission. Anincrease of 0.5 f.e. will mean the school becoming 2 f.e. permanently which is thecounty council’s preferred size, offering a broad curriculum and enhancedopportunities for staff development. The proposed enlargement will provide theopportunity for pupils to be taught in straight year groups.

For further information on the possible options that were considered, please seewww.hertsdirect.org/schoolplaces. Frequently asked questions are also availablethrough this link.

3

The alterations required for enlargement

If a decision is made to enlarge this school, the county council would work closelywith the school to provide the additional accommodation required. We would workhard to make sure that the accommodation supports pupils’ needs whilst alsoensuring that good value for money is achieved in the context of restrictions onpublic sector finance. The work would be managed by the county council usingcontractors who would ensure a safe environment for pupils and staff, and minimisethe impact of any building works at the school.

Planning permission will be required for any building work which would mean thatthere would be a separate consultation locally through the town planning system onthe details of any proposed building work. Any specific town planning mattersassociated with this school site would need to be addressed as part of the planningapplication, including highways, parking and conservation issues.

Have your say

The county council believes that the enlargement of Roman Way First School willhave a positive impact for its existing pupils, staff and local community by improvingaccess to school places, providing for enhanced education opportunities and forimproved facilities in new buildings.

You have until 10 April 2015 to let us know your views. The easiest way you can dothis is by completing the online form on our website athttps://consult.hertsdirect.org/consultations. You can tell us if you agree or disagreewith the proposal and leave your comments.

If you do not have access to the internet you can visit your local library where freeaccess is available to all Hertfordshire residents. Should you wish to request a hardcopy of the response form, you can email [email protected] oralternatively you can call us on 0300 123 4043. If you need help to understand thisinformation, please contact the customer service centre on 0300 123 4043. Aninterpreting service is available for those who need it.

Your comments must be received by 10 April 2015. We will not be able toacknowledge or respond individually to your comments but they will be taken intoaccount, as explained below.

How the decision will be taken

This is a consultation and no decision has been made yet. All comments receivedwill be made available to elected members who make the final decision. Allresponses may be made available in public reports, although personal details will beremoved to respect individual privacy.

4

The following timetable outlines the decision-making process. Please note thatmeetings marked with * will be open to the public. Although it will not be possible toinform everyone individually of the decisions made, you will be able to access thisinformation throughout the process at: http://www.hertsdirect.org/your-council/civic_calendar/.

Process Date

Public consultation 24 February – 10 April 2015

Education Panel* 18 May 2015

Cabinet* 18 May 2015

Statutory notice period (4 weeks) Week commencing 25 May 2015

Cabinet * (for final approval ifobjections received)

13 July 2015

Implementation September 2016

Yours faithfully

Andrew SimmonsDeputy Director for Children’s Services, Education