ITEM CMDSI3
DETAILED PROJECT APPRAISAL APPRAISAL NO. ED 643
NAME OF SCHEME: Combe CE Primary School – Replacement of Temporary Classrooms and Provision of New School Hall
START YEAR: 2008/09
BASIS OF ESTIMATE: Mouchel estimate based on agreed scheme
1. INTRODUCTION AND DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT
This project will provide a new purpose built building providing a school hall and 2 classrooms for Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 children.
The school accommodation currently consists of a typical Victorian school building providing a small hall area and one classroom with a number of smaller facilities. The hall area is now currently used as a classroom and furniture has to be removed to enable assemblies and dining to take place.
The remainder of the school accommodation is provided in two prefabricated, temporary classroom units, one dating from the late 1960’s. These buildings are located on the school playing field adjacent to the main school building. The school has been identified in the Children, Young People and Families Asset Management Plan as high priority in terms of replacing aged temporary classrooms and the provision of a hall.
Following detailed feasibility work the preferred option to address the school’s accommodation problems is to construct a new purpose built building and playground on part of the current school playing field. As part of the project two new leases will be secured. One lease is with the Parochial Church Council and Oxford Diocese for the existing school site for a term of 99 years. The second lease is with an adjacent landowner for a period of 25 years for the provision of land to create a new school playing field. When completed the new building will include: · 2 classrooms (Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1) · School Hall · Kitchen servery · Pupil WC’s · Adult/disabled WC’s · Storage
The scheme also includes a new foundation stage
external learning area.
2. JUSTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF NEED
Through the County’s Asset Management Plan process the school has been identified as a high priority due to the high proportion of pupils in temporary classrooms and the lack of a school hall. There are two temporary classroom buildings, one dating from 1968 (ref SW01) and the other 1995 (ref AR23), neither of these buildings have toilet facilities.
The accommodation problems have a direct impact on teaching and learning. Each day children in Year groups 3, 4, 5 & 6 have to clear their books and equipment away early and teaching staff and children then have to reorganise the furniture in order to accommodate the large number of children who have a cooked lunch. At the end of the meal the classroom has to be returned to its original state. Currently approximately 70 children are affected daily. Similarly much time is lost moving furniture for school assemblies, collective worship etc
There is also an impact on the ability of the school to deliver the full Physical Education curriculum. When the hall area is cleared it provides an area of 77.5m2, this is well below the recommended size of 140m2. Dance and gymnastics are virtually impossible to teach and during very inclement weather the games programme also suffers. School drama and musical productions are currently held in the Church, the only village building large enough to accommodate the schools needs. Much time is lost walking to the church for rehearsals and having to move furniture. There is currently no space within the school for specialist activities such as music tuition.
The Inadequate toilet provision in the temporary classrooms is a significant health and safety issue as is the time wasted for children and staff having to escort Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 children across to the main building.
These problems were identified in the most recent inspection of the school by Ofsted in 2004, the reported commented;
“The lack of a school hall limits what pupils can achieve in gymnastics and dance”
“The lack of a school hall means that the full physical education programme cannot be taught”
“There are insufficient toilets and the access to these for reception children is unacceptable”
“The only toilets for the reception and years 1 and 2 pupils are situated in the main building and valuable time is lost when using these during lessons”
The project will address all of the accommodation concerns raised by Ofsted
3. OTHER OPTIONS
A feasibility study was undertaken to identify the most cost effective way of addressing the accommodation problems at the school. This included looking at the potential for providing a new four class school on alternative land available within the village. The study included an initial assessment as to the feasibility of acquiring an appropriate sized site and securing planning permission for a school.
Redevelopment on the existing site has been identified as the most effective way of meeting the schools needs. This has been supported by the Headteacher and Governing Body.
The only other option would be to not provide the school with a hall and to consider replacing the life expired temporary classroom buildings with further prefabricated accommodation.
4. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
(i) Capital
The estimated capital cost of the project, including professional fees, is £1,450,000.
These costs will be met from the Foundation Stage Investment Fund (£52,000), school contribution from their Devolved Formula Capital Allocation (£13,000), Sustainability Grant for the provision of photovoltaic cells (£25,000) and the balance of (£1,360,000) from government loan sanction provided as part of Oxfordshire’s Supported Capital Expenditure allocation.
(ii) Revenue
Day to day revenue costs will be met through the schools delegated budget.
(iii) Risk
An assessment of risk has been carried out by Property Services and Mouchel Parkman, a Risk Register is being maintained for the project.
(iv) Whole Life Appraisal
An appraisal was carried out as part of the feasibility study which considered: · Use of sustainable materials in the construction · Future proofing the design to allow flexibility in the use if needs were to change
5. STAFFING IMPLICATIONS
There are none arising from this report
6. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
The buildings are not listed but are located within a conservation area, the design reflects the unique nature of the site and the prominence the building will have at the entrance to the village. Full planning permission for the project was granted by the County Council in October 2007.
It is recognised that the project will not necessarily match the assessment criteria of the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) it will however seek to meet those principles and seek to achieve the level of ‘GOOD’
The building design includes a number of specific sustainability features including; · Ground Source Heat Pump to supply the under floor heating. · Wind-catchers to provide natural ventilation to the hall. · The use of Photo Voltaic cells on one elevation of the roof to generate electricity is being considered. This is subject to a Grant Application to the Low Carbon Buildings Programme run by BREE (Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform) which would cover 50% of the capital cost . · Sustainable Urban Drainage Solutions (SUDS), for disposal of surface water within the site.
JANET TOMLINSON Director for Children, Young People & Families
SUE SCANE Assistant Chief Executive & Chief Finance Officer
NEIL MONAGHAN Head of Property Environment & Economy
Contact: Kevin Griffin, Service Manager – Capital Planning, Property & Assets, Raising Achievement Service, Children, Young People & Families Directorate Tel: (01865) 816457
May 2008
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