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ITEM EX13

EXECUTIVE – 6 FEBRUARY 2001

REVISED DETAILED PROJECT APPRAISAL APPRAISAL NO. ED519/2

Start Year: 2002/2003

BASIS OF ESTIMATE: W.S. Atkins revised estimate based on current scheme

Resource appraisal (download as .rtf file)

INTRODUCTION

This appraisal is being resubmitted as detailed site investigations, followed by a reconsideration of room layouts and the positioning of specialist departments, has led to an increase in the total estimated cost of the scheme from £2.24m to £3.024m. One of these changes has resulted in the new teaching block being developed as a specialist teaching facility accommodating both the science and technology departments. Officers believe these changes are essential to the effective operation of the new school in September 2003, and to the minimising of disruption to Frideswide Middle school in the year prior to reorganisation.

1. DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT

The building work detailed below is required to enable Cherwell Upper School to function as a nine form entry, 11 – 18 secondary school (1,770 places inclusive of sixth form) from September 2003, within the new two tier school system in Oxford City.

The work to be carried out will consist of a mix of new building (11new teaching rooms, 6 of which will be specialist spaces for technology and 5 for science) and internal conversions. All this work will be carried out on the Frideswide Middle School site, When completed, the Frideswide Middle School buildings will function as the lower school of Cherwell School, with its own physical education, drama, music, science and technology facilities.

JUSTIFICATION

This remains unaltered from the outline and detailed project appraisal.

The work at this school is necessary to enable the LEA to fulfil its legal responsibilities to provide accommodation for children in this area of Oxford given the reorganisation of the school system, and to enable the reorganisation to proceed upon the agreed timetable.

The educational justification for the reorganisation as a whole is included within reports which were presented to Education Committee on 15 July 1999, 2 February 2000 and 6 June 2000. Amongst other things, these reports referred to the current splits both at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3, with the resultant poor lines of accountability; the difficulty in teacher recruitment in middle schools and the small number of national teacher training courses aimed at the middle years; concerns over pupil performance in the city; pupil performance dips upon school transfer; savings in revenue as a consequence of the reorganisation; and the ability the reorganisation allows to concentrate specialist teachers and specialist accommodation where the national curriculum demands in Key Stage 3 and above.

OTHER OPTIONS

The only other option which would enable the reorganisation proposals to be implemented would be for the expansion at this school to be provided through the use of temporary classrooms.

Officers do not consider this option to be an appropriate response to the requirements of the reorganisation.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

1. Capital

The estimated total cost of the scheme, inclusive of fees, is £ 3,024,000. These costs will be met from the budget earmarked for the schools reorganisation, which will include receipts secured through site disposals, government loan sanction provided as part of Oxfordshire’s Annual Capital Guideline, grant provided through the Government’s Standards Fund, and from developer contributions arising from new housing developments in the Cherwell School catchment area.

2. Revenue

The revenue costs (including day to day and structural repairs) will be met from the school’s delegated budget under the Council’s Fair Funding arrangements.

STAFF IMPLICATIONS

There are none arising from this specific appraisal which have not been addressed as part of the personnel arrangements for the reorganisation as a whole.

January 2002

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