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Primary school expansion strategy St. Mary’s RC Primary School Chair: Paul Ballatt – Head of Commissioning, Strategy and Performance Children, Schools & Families Dept. Councillor Peter Walker Cabinet Member for Education London Borough of Merton. The Challenge.
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Primary school expansion strategySt. Mary’s RC Primary SchoolChair: Paul Ballatt – Head of Commissioning, Strategy and PerformanceChildren, Schools & Families Dept.
Councillor Peter Walker Cabinet Member for EducationLondon Borough of Merton
The Challenge • Between 2007/8 and 2013/14 there will be a growth in the number of primary school children aged 4 of 30% - 800+
3 Key factors for expansion strategy • Building on excellent education • Sustainable solutions for our schools • Value for money
Result of Borough wide consultation autumn 2010 7 Schools including St. Mary’s RC agreed to provide extra reception classes in September 2011 and consider permanent expansion Council budget in March agreed 4-year capital sums for primary school expansion programme
Tom Procter Manager of Contracts and School Organisation, Children, Schools & Families Dept.
Aim • Rationale for why proposing expansion of St. Mary’s RC • Legal process • School’s vision for expansion • Building feasibility and phasing strategy
Why St. Mary’s?- Overall criteria in selecting schools • Educational standards – good & outstanding schools • Parental preference - popular and over-subscribed schools • Smaller schools expand where feasible • Location – where places most in demand • Physical constraints of existing school sites • Value for money and affordability • Balance of faith based schools
Legal process for St. Mary’s RC Decision made • Extra reception class in September 2011 This consultation on permanent expansion from September 2012 • Statutory consultation to 11 May > Consider > Publish a statutory notice > Decision > Statutory duty to implement • Decision is after planning permission granted for building or “subject to planning permission”
Sarah Crouch Headteacher, St. Mary’s SchoolSchool vision for expansion
Building project Value for money for short term and long term solutions • Short term – extra reception class • Longer term – school gradually providing for 7 extra classes (210 pupils) from 2011/12 to 2017/18
Feasibility study – key questions • Council building used in the short term? • Council building used or demolished in longer term? • Feasible to connect to existing school building? • School improvement/value for money/affordability
Feasibility study – priorities for school • Additional 7 classrooms • 2nd hall/larger hall for assemblies • Early years play • Whole school play/PE • Appropriate ICT facilities • Appropriate staff facilities
Building Expansion strategy – DRAFT feasibility layouts Phase 2 – By Sep 2012 Phase 1 – ground floor of building for 2 classrooms until summer 2014 at latest Phase 3 – Building demolished for play space by Sep 2014 Phase 3 – By Sep 2014 Phase 1 – staff car park becomes playground Note – this is a draft indicative layout from the feasibility study – not a final layout plan
What questions do we have for the council? • What happens if the budget is not available? • Timing-if the two classes are not ready for September, what happens? How would this be funded? • Why are we not building two new Reception classes straight away? • How much say do we have on details and how much say do we have on bigger picture decisions? • Can we say no? • Are there enough children? • What will the length of the building programme be? • Will the council give a guarantee to complete the chosen option? • Is there adequate funding for heating, lighting and resources? • Why are we not having a prefab classroom rather than the social services building? • Will we have foundations that can take an extra storey? • Is the social services building structurally sound? • Is it possible for parents to meet with the building team? • How are the Council going to communicate once everything starts? • Will we get to retain any budget surplus? • How will noise disruption affect children? • When will the Council decide which option to go with? • Eco friendly build? Solar panels? • What did the Council learn from expanding Holy Trinity?
Agreed reception class expansions21 FE total - 630 extra reception places in 6 years)