Agenda item

The enclosed report refers to some appendices which contain exempt information and may not be discussed in public.  If the Cabinet needs to consider these in detail, then it may resolve to exclude the public and press from the meeting.

The Cabinet Member for Education introduced the report considering the actions needed to deliver a new secondary school for Worcester. A pre-specification engagement had taken place and 595 responses had been received with the majority agreeing that a new school was needed. The intent was that the land for the new school, on Newtown Road, would be acquired by private treaty. The project would take 5 years until completion and would cost £44million. The funding would come from the County Council but was necessary as it was a statutory duty for the County Council to provide sufficient school places.

The Cabinet Member for Children and Families explained it was the Council’s duty to ensure that children were not disadvantaged and for that to happen the number of school places needed to keep up with housebuilding. He commended the Cabinet Member for Education for his hard work on this project, as well as the tenacity of officers.

Members from outside the Cabinet asked various questions and in response the Cabinet Member for Education replied that:

·       All existing feeder schools and the full number of potential pupils had been taken into account in Worcester during the consideration and planning of a new school

·       It was likely that the new school would have a 12-place autism base, although the final specification had not been agreed

·       In future a catchment area review may be necessary for areas of Worcester and surrounding areas

·       All new schools had to be set up as Free Schools so the new Academy would set its own admissions criteria, but it was hoped the admissions criteria would be morally right and not be selective. Any admissions criteria had to meet legislative requirements.

The Chairman summarised the item by stating the decision was a key gateway to move the project forward to ensure that education provision meets the needs of the growing county.

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

(a)     noted the progress made to date on the County Council’s delivery of a new Secondary School;

(b)     noted the outcome of the engagement survey undertaken in May-June 2021 as outlined in paragraphs 6-10;

(c)     endorsed the proposal to acquire land by private treaty within the boundary of the site as outlined in appendix 1 necessary to deliver the secondary school proposal and authorises the Strategic Director of Commercial and Change in consultation with the s151 and Monitoring Officers, to acquire the land in accordance with the delegated authorities as set out in paragraphs 31-33 below;

(d)     authorised the consultation on the proposed school specification as outlined under paragraphs 25-27 and appendix 2;

(e)     authorised the Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Education, in consultation with the Director of Children's services, to approve the specification having regard to any representations made during the consultation period;

(f)       recommended that Council increase the Capital Programme by the outline project cost of £44m in order to deliver a new four form entry secondary school; and

(g)     authorised the Director of Children’s Services in consultation with the Strategic Director of Commercial and Change, the Chief Finance Officer and the Assistant Director for Legal and Governance to undertake all necessary steps to implement the project within the funding envelope agreed including any regulatory consents and contracts required including the completion of a pre-planning public engagement exercise and the preparation and submission of a Planning Application.