Agenda item

Report of the Director of Education and Skills

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Education and Skills, which set out the next steps in the SEND proposal for the use of the Woodlands school site.

A corresponding private report detailing confidential financial matters was also submitted for consideration (Minute 41 below refers).

The report indicated that Section 14 of the Education Act 1996 places a statutory duty on councils to ensure that there are sufficient school places and fair, appropriate access to education for all.  It is the Council’s role to plan, commission and organise school places in a way that raises standards, manages supply and demand and creates a diverse infrastructure.

This means that local authorities have to provide a continuum of provision to meet a continuum of need.  Whilst Coventry has relatively few specialist provisions delivered in the form of resourced  centres / units in mainstream schools, it does have a good range of special school provision.  Consequently, very few Coventry children have to attend schools outside of the City, which is a position that needs to be maintained.

However, the recent evidenced growth in need, specifically in the area of complex communication (autism spectrum conditions) and social emotional and mental health (SEMH), has placed a level of demand on the special school system that exceeds supply.  School age Education, Health and Care Plans have increased from 2,145 in January 2020 to 2,344 in January 2021, demonstrating a 26% growth across a 5-year period.

On 30^th October 2018, the Cabinet approved in principle the refurbishing of the existing Woodlands School site to provide a new home for the existing Woodfield Primary and Secondary schools and the potential subsequent relocation of the Woodfields schools to the Woodlands site.  It was agreed that a further report be submitted containing a full detailed feasibility study.  Approval of this feasibility study would enable education to proceed with a more detailed examination of the costings and look at the funding sources available.

Following an Ofsted inspection at Woodfield School in March 2020, which resulted in a grading of ‘Inadequate’, Woodfield School is required to academise.  The Governing Body of the school has made a successful application to the Secretary of State for an Academy Order under the Academies Act 2010.  Following the West Midlands Headteacher Board in October 2020, it was agreed that Woodfield School will join the Sidney Stringer Multi-Academy Trust (Sidney Stringer MAT) as a convertor academy and thereafter will cease to be maintained by the Local Authority.  The Council, in conjunction with the Department for Education, Woodfield School and Sidney Stringer MAT are working towards a target conversion date of 1^st April 2022, subject to leases being agreed and all other agreements in place.  The conversion is also dependent upon significant progress being made on this project.

The move to the Woodlands site allows both Woodfield primary and secondary phases to benefit from shared working practices, provision of more efficient and improved facilities and a purpose designed building.  It would also allow Woodfield School to increase the number of pupils.  In addition, the refurbishment of the Woodlands site would potentially allow a continuation and expansion of the community sporting provision that has been successfully provided at the site for many years.

The existing Woodlands buildings are of a 1950’s vintage and are Grade II listed.  As such, significant investment is required to allow them to be used as a modern SEND school.  The DfE transferred the building across to the Council in September 2017.  The condition report highlighted a sum required for the upkeep and maintenance costs and many of the buildings have remained vacant since the Woodlands Academy closure.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet:

1.  Note the outcome of the feasibility study report (as identified in the corresponding private report) and the consultation set out in Appendices 3 and 4.

2.  Approve the commencement of a competitive procurement process to appoint the design team and the building contractor to enable the delivery of the capital refurbishment works required on the Woodlands Site to facilitate the relocation of the existing Woodfield Primary and Secondary Schools.

3.  Subject to acting within approved budgets, delegate authority to the Director of Education and Skills and the Director of Finance, following consultation with the Director of Law and Governance, to undertake the necessary due diligence including but not limited to the award of contracts to successful tenderers and entry into all necessary legal agreements.

4.  Note that where the costs of delivering the relocation of the existing Woodfield Primary and Secondary schools to the Woodlands Site exceeds the approved budget limit (“the Shortfall Gap”) a further report  will be presented to Cabinet and Council for the approval of the Shortfall Gap prior to award of the contract to the successful building contractor.

5.  Recommends that Council:

a.  Approve the capital budget for the delivery of the capital refurbishment works on the Woodlands Site to facilitate the relocation of the existing Woodfield Primary and Secondary schools in the sum identified in the corresponding private report.

b.  Approve that the Council capital programme is adjusted to facilitate the recommendation set out in a. Above.

c.  Delegate authority to the Director of Education and Skills and the Director of Finance to refine and manage the financial projections within the capital budget associated with the delivery of capital refurbishment works on the Woodlands site to facilitate the relocation of the existing Woodfield Primary and Secondary Schools.