Agenda item

Establishment and construction of a new special school for children and young people (aged 4-16) with Moderate and Additional Learning Difficulties (MALD)

Decision:

Cllr Philip Robinson sought Cabinet approval to establish a new 200 place Special School for Children and Young People aged 4-16 with moderate and additional learning difficulties, together with approval for commissioning, funding and construction of the new school.

Having considered all of the information, Cabinet noted the report and

RESOLVED to:

1. Approve the establishment of a new 200 place special school for children aged 4-16 with moderate and additional learning difficulties and delegates authority to the Executive Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education Skills and Bus Transport,

to:

(i). conduct a free school presumption competition process to identify a suitable Academy Trust to sponsor such school;

(ii). recommend to the Secretary of State, following conclusion of that competition process, the Council’s findings from its assessment of prospective sponsors in order to enable her to decide upon the most suitable Academy Trust proposer to take forward the new free school.

2. Approve the land owned by GCC at Wheatridge East as the land on which to establish and construct the new school

3. Approve the allocation of £16.500 million to the approved Children & Families Capital Programme for the new Special School funded from the £14.000 million unallocated High Needs Provision Capital Grant and £2.500 million unallocated Basic Need Grant.

4. Delegate authority to the Assistant Director of Asset Management and Property Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Education Skills and Bus Transport and the Deputy Leader/Cabinet Member for Finance and Change, to:

a) conduct a mini-competition process under the Contractor Partnering Framework Agreement: Major Construction Works 2019 for the purpose of awarding:

i. a preconstruction design agreement and

ii. subject to planning approval, a contract for construction

works relating to the establishment of the new special

school.

b) Use a mini competition process through the Contractor Partnering Framework Agreement: Major Construction Works 2019 to determine the Council’s preferred contractor(s).

c) Upon conclusion of the mini competition, to enter into the preconstruction design contract and, subject to planning approval, a contract for the construction works with the preferred contractor(s)

5. Delegate authority to the Executive Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Assistant Director of Asset Management and Property Services, to undertake all ancillary matters to enable the establishment of the new special school.

Minutes:

10.1 Cllr Philip Robinson sought Cabinet approval to establish a new 200 place Special School for Children and Young People aged 4-16 with moderate and additional learning difficulties, together with approval for commissioning, funding and construction of the new school.

10.2 The number of children and young people with EHCPs requiring special school places had increased, in line with the national picture. A greater number of special school places were required to meet projected demand. Increasing the provision of high-quality cost-effective places in county ensured that children and young people with complex needs were educated closer to home. This reduced pressure on the Council’s high needs and the home to school transport budgets.

10.3 This was one of a number of County Council funded projects to increase special school places. Brook Academy opened in Sept 2022 and Sladewood Academy would open in Sept 2023.

10.4 The ambition was to education children closer to home and it was underpinned by the Gloucestershire SEND strategy. Sufficiency of provision was an important element of the Ofsted Local Area SEND Inspection, expected later this year, and was an important priority for the DfE who published the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan in March 2023.

10.5 The proposed site was well situated within the county, close to where there was the greatest level of demand, and within reach of other parts of the county. It was within County Council ownership and had a covenant restriction for education use. The site would accommodate a 200-place school, with room for modest future expansion.

10.6 Members supported the direction of travel with regards to this piece of work helping young people to access education. There was discussion around the rapid growth in need and the requirement to address those underlying challenges.