Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

The Cabinet considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People) that sought in principal approval to co-locate Woodfield Primary and Secondary Schools to the site previously occupied by Woodlands School, Broad Lane, Coventry.

Under Section 14 of the Education Act 1996, Coventry City Council had a statutory duty to ensure sufficient school places and fair, appropriate access to education for all. It was the Council’s role to plan, commission and organise school places in a way that raised standards, managed supply and demand and created a diverse infrastructure.

Cabinet, at their meeting on 2^nd October 2018 (minute 46 referred), approved in principle the draft One Strategic Plan and agreed that this should now be consulted on. The One Strategic Plan set out pupil forecasts for primary and secondary across education planning areas in response to rising or falling pupil cohorts across the city. It outlined the strategy proposed by the Local Authority and the Coventry Secondary Headteacher Partnership to meet the additional places required in secondary provision from 2019 – 2021.

The One Strategic Plan also outlined the strategy to meet the growing demand for places for children with special educational needs and disabilities including provision for children age 5 to 16, with complex social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. This specialist provision was currently delivered by Woodfield Special School from two separate sites. It was acknowledged that the existing school buildings were deemed unsuitable for purpose in the long term and had insufficient capacity to meet the growing demand.

An opportunity had arisen to re-use the site which contained listed buildings, previously occupied by Woodlands School, to co-locate Woodfield School, in its entirety. This would provide a future proofed fit for purpose educational environment, offering a full range of facilities including sport to learners, with the capacity for the provision to grow. The potential utilisation of the ‘Woodlands site’ enabled the physical separation of phases specifically primary and secondary to ensure that pupils from either phase were able to benefit from age appropriate curriculum and resources. The site security and design would ensure that pupils would only be able to access their own internal and external learning environment.

The report set out how the relocation could be facilitated and sought an “in principle” approval to proceed with a detailed feasibility study, consultation and, if appropriate, present final proposals for Council consideration and decision.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet:

1)  Approves the principle of refurbishing the existing Woodlands School site to provide a new home for the existing Woodfield Primary and Secondary schools, the potential subsequent relocation of the Woodfield schools to the Woodlands site, and to apply for planning/listed building consent in order to be able to implement the proposals if a subsequent detailed feasibility study is approved by a future Cabinet and Council.

2)  Approves the proposal to pursue planning consent for residential use and subsequent disposal, subject to consent being granted, of the current Woodfield Primary (Stoneleigh Road) and Secondary (Hawthorne Lane) sites and to “ring fence” the receipts towards the costs of implementing recommendation 1) above.

3)  Undertakes all necessary consultation with families, the wider education community and all statutory bodies on the proposals set out in recommendation 1) above and to bring the outcome of the consultations and feasibility study, along with the financial implications of any final proposal, back to Cabinet and Council for consideration in making any final decision.