ITEM CMDSI2
CABINET MEMBER FOR SCHOOLS IMPROVEMENT –
PRIMARY CAPITAL PROGRAMME – STRATEGY FOR CHANGE
Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families
Introduction
1.
The Cabinet received the consultation
document (download as .doc file) sent out to stakeholders at its meeting on 20 May and considered the
contents. It focussed particularly on
Section 5 and the criteria to determine capital investment priorities within
localities. Members voiced concerns
about the need to balance the Department for Children, Schools & Families
(DCSF) requirement to raise standards and tackle underperformance with the need
to reflect local Oxfordshire priorities in terms of improving schools with
buildings in poor condition.
2.
The Cabinet agreed the following:
(a)
to instruct officers to undertake further
work on the criteria for capital investment (and hence the local priority list)
and to include a list of schools for capital investment;
(b)
to delegate to the Member for Schools Improvement the decision to approve the
final version of the Strategy which will include the locality priority list for
capital investment for submission to the DCSF by
Feedback from the Consultation
3.
A summary of the findings of the
consultation is given at Annex 1 (download as .doc file). The
Strategy has been amended to reflect the feedback including views of the
Primary Review Board and the Cabinet instructions. In respect of Section 5 – Initial Investment
Priorities, the criteria have been changed as follows:
·
The Every Child Matters (ECM) Enjoy &
Achieve criteria are now based on data over 4 years to include trends
in school performance. The maximum
score remains 3 points.
·
The ECM outcomes Be Healthy, Stay Safe,
Positive Contribution, and Economic Well Being have been replaced with a
sliding scale application of the DCSF deprivation index. The maximum score has been reduced to 2
points.
·
The maximum score for Physical Buildings
with outstanding condition work equal to £200 per square metre or above has
been increased to 2, thus increasing the maximum score for the whole section to
4 points.
·
The maximum score for strategic asset issues
have been increased to 3 points.
·
The overall maximum score remains 12 points.
4.
In the light of the above revised criteria,
the priority list of localities for capital investment has changed with Thame/Watlington leading the list followed by Abingdon/Berinsfield, Headington/Wheatley and Oxford South
East. It is proposed that the top two
localities receive full locality reviews as soon as the DCSF approval has been
given for the Primary Capital Programme – Strategy for Change (PCP- SfC), with a suggested timeline of an October start to
determine further capital expenditure in the two localities following on from
the St Andrew’s and Mill Lane projects, which are already in the Capital
Programme. Bayard’s Hill and Wood Farm
remain in the first wave of expenditure as they have been briefed and their
locality Headington/Wheatley has already received a full locality review.
5.
The Member should note however that the localities
provide only a framework for highlighting capital investment
priorities. Within the localities
capital projects are based on schools with the greatest needs in terms
of raising standards, deprivation and improving the condition of their
buildings. A list of schools currently
requiring capital investment within the PCP is given in the spreadsheet
supporting Section 5 of the SfC in Annex 2 (download as .xls file) in accordance with DCSF requirements.
6.
Thus, it can be seen that schools with the most
pressing needs will receive a priority listing though their actual
locality may be of a lower general priority.
Financial and Staff
Implications
7.
The indicative capital allocation is £5.8m
for 2009-10 ad £2.628m for 2010-11. The
provision of capital allocation, subject to DCSF agreement, is given in Section
5 of the PCP SfC in Annex 2 (download as .xls file).
Timeline and Next Steps
8.
The deadline for the submission of the PCP
strategy to the DCSF is 16 June. All
Local Authority (LA) strategies will be independently evaluated and it is
intended that LAs will be notified of the outcome by
the end of September 2008.
9.
There will be three categories of response:
(a)
approval without conditions;
(b)
approval with conditions;
(c)
approval withheld until the LA has re-submitted an amended strategy with DCSF guidance.
10.
It is not the DCSF intention to reduce
funding for any LAs with strategies that require
further work in the light of (ii) and (iii) above.
RECOMMENDATION
11.
The
Cabinet Member for Schools Improvement is RECOMMENDED to:
(a)
indicate
that he approves the changes in criteria as set out in paragraph 3 of the
report;
(b)
approve the Primary Capital Programme – Strategy for Change for submission to the DCSF
including the revised criteria, the revised locality priority list for capital
investment, and the completed spreadsheet detailing the school projects
including the first wave of expenditure.
JANET TOMLINSON
Director for Children, Young People & Families
Background papers: None
Contact Officer: Irene Kirkman
Assistant
Head of Raising Achievement Service
School
Support Services
Tel:
01865 815843
29 May 2008
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