Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Schools Improvement

Forward Plan Ref: 2010/143

Contact:Allyson Milward, Service Manager - School Organisation and Planning Tel: (01865) 816447

Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families (CA12).

St Edburg’s CE (A) Primary School has a published admission number of 30 children. The current age range is 4-11 years.  The proposal is directly related to the proposed development of 1585 houses at SW Bicester, now known as Kingsmere, development.  A previous consultation exercise was undertaken by Governors in 2007 when it was believed the new SW Bicester development was about to commence.  That consultation was in favour of the proposal to lower the age range and expand the school at the same time as relocating it to the new site to serve that new community.  The proposed development did not commence as a direct result of the slowdown in the economy and therefore no statutory notice to implement the outcomes of the consultation was made.  Under the provisions of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (EIA 2006) such consultation exercises are only valid for a period of three years.  The development has now commenced at a slower rate and it is anticipated that a new school will be needed as originally intended and provided for in the infrastructure agreements for the site.  The first houses are likely to be ready for occupation from May 2011. 

 The Governors of St Edburg’s CE (A) Primary school have completed a further consultation exercise on a similar proposal and the outcomes are set out in the report. 

For September 2011 the school’s admission number has been published as 30 but the school is not currently full and will have space to accommodate the children generated from the first phase of development on the site.  This is seen as essential so that the new community has clear continuity of education provision as early as possible.  Current pupils would be guaranteed places in the new school.  However, once the new school is available it will serve the new community.  The part of Bicester town currently served by this school will be divided between other schools in the town.  Further consultation exercises to vary catchment areas will need to be brought forward by the Authority in due course.  These will take into account all the large developments proposed in and around Bicester to 2026. 

Funding for the new school buildings has been secured by the authority as part of infrastructure payments to be made by the developer (S.106 contributions).  One of the key ‘triggers’ for the release of the site for the school and the infrastructure payments is the completion of the statutory procedures required by the EIA 2006.  It is anticipated that the proceeds of the sale of the existing site will be used to fund any necessary expansions to provision in existing schools as a result of this proposal.  Brookside Primary school has already been expanded through forward funding by the Authority to support the initial impacts of this move. 

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to support the publication of a statutory notice for the following related proposals: (i) to expand St Edburg’s CE(A) Primary School, Bicester by the school governors and (ii) to lower the age range.

Cabinet considered a report (CA12) on proposals to expand St Edburg’s CE(A) Primary School and to lower the age range.

RESOLVED:             to support the publication of a statutory notice for the following related proposals: (i) to expand St Edburg’s CE(A) Primary School, Bicester by the school governors and (ii) to lower the age range.