- INTRODUCTION
AND DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT
The
building work detailed below is required to enable St. Aloysius RC Aided
First School to function as a 215 place primary school from September
2003, within the new two tier school system in Oxford City.
The
scheme, which is being taken forwarded by officers of the Birmingham
Diocese, includes the construction of a first floor extension, to include
3 classrooms, IT room, staff room and pupil toilets. Externally some
work will be carried out to improve hard and soft play areas at the
school.
- JUSTIFICATION
The
work at this school is necessary to enable the Local Education Authority
to fulfil its legal responsibilities to provide accommodation for children
in this area of Oxford following the decision to reorganise the school
system in Oxford City, 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 the former 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 opportunity
the reorganisation allows for concentration of 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
- Capital
The
estimated total costs of the scheme, inclusive of fees, are £739,000.
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 (ACG), grant provided through the Government’s
Standards Fund, and funding provided by the Birmingham Diocesan
Board of Education.
- 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.
- ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPLICATIONS