Cabinet Member: Education & Cultural Services

Forward Plan Ref: 2018/168

Contact: Allyson Milward, Strategic Lead for Education Sufficiency Tel: 07733 003540

Report by Director for Capital Investment & Delivery (CA15).

The information contained in the annexes is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed category:

3.         Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information);

and since it is considered that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, in that the disclosure could affect both the outcome of the current planning application for delivery of the school and the conduct of the Education Skills and Funding Agency (ESFA).

The paper with annex is produced to provide Members with information on progress with provision of the above school to meet demand for secondary school places In Oxford from September 2019 and to ensure that the county council is in a position to respond quickly to whatever planning decision is taken by Oxford City Council on 15 October 2018.

The project programme has slipped considerably but the stated aim is still to provide the required basic need places required for September 2019 in Oxford.  The ESFA team leading the project have Indicated that a revised programme of transfer of assets from the Council will be required to ensure the need for places in 2019 can be met. This requires further approval of Cabinet. 

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve one of the alternative options set out in the confidential annex in relation to this project.

Cabinet approved an option.

The information contained in the annex is exempt in that it falls within the following prescribed category:

3.         Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information);

and since it is considered that, in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, in that the disclosure could affect both the outcome of the current planning application for delivery of the school and the conduct of the Education Skills and Funding Agency (ESFA).

Cabinet received information on progress with provision of the above school to meet demand for secondary school places In Oxford from September 2019 and to ensure that the county council is in a position to respond quickly to whatever planning decision is taken by Oxford City Council on 15 October 2018.

The ESFA team leading the project had indicated that a revised programme of transfer of assets from the Council would be required to ensure the need for places in 2019 could be met.

Councillors John Howson and Mark Lygo addressed Cabinet.

RESOLVED:             to approve the way forward.