Issue - meetings

This report considers approaches to reducing the supply and demand mismatch in relation to school places, sets out ways of maximising investment into the school portfolio from 2013/14 to address this issue, and proposes specific schools and sites for investment to meet demand from the beginning of the 2012/13 academic year.

(i)         that the current and future demand for primary school places as set out in Section 3 of the report from the Directors of Regeneration and Major Projects and Children and Families be noted;

(ii)        that approval be given to the allocation of £1.35m from the Council’s Main Capital Programme for providing additional primary ‘bulge’ classes places across Brent schools from September 2012;

(iii)       that approval be given to the list of school and non-school based schemes listed in Appendix 1 of the report for providing temporary primary provision, subject to due diligence completed by the Council and agreement with the school;

(iv)       that agreement be given to the prioritised use of properties listed under Table 9 in Appendix 1 for the purpose of providing temporary primary provision.

(v)        that authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Major Projects and Director of Children and Families in conjunction with the Lead Member of Regeneration and Major Projects to substitute a scheme with another if any of the proposed schemes in Appendix 1 are not feasible, subject to due diligence completed by the Council and agreement with the school.

(vi)       that authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Major Projects to appoint one or more works contractors using existing construction frameworks, for the recommended temporary school expansion schemes referred to in paragraph (iii) above.

Councillor Crane (Lead Member, Regeneration and Major Projects) introduced the report from the Directors of Regeneration and Major Projects and from Children and Families which put forward approaches to reducing the mismatch between supply and demand in relation to school places. In response to concerns raised earlier in the meeting by Karen Flaum over the number of houses being demolished and flats built in their place, Councillor Crane contributed that demand for school places was also increased by the number of people moving into the borough and the matter was under review. Councillor Arnold (Lead Member, Children and Families) added that the shortage of school places was a reality across London attributed to increasing birthrates, the impact of the recession leading to less families leaving Brent and to a reduced number of parents choosing to send their children to private schools. The council was planning a programme of high quality provision including special needs.

RESOLVED:-

(i)         that the current and future demand for primary school places as set out in Section 3 of the report from the Directors of Regeneration and Major Projects and Children and Families be noted;

(ii)        that approval be given to the allocation of £1.35m from the Council’s Main Capital Programme for providing additional primary ‘bulge’ classes places across Brent schools from September 2012;

(iii)       that approval be given to the list of school and non-school based schemes listed in Appendix 1 of the report for providing temporary primary provision, subject to due diligence completed by the Council and agreement with the school;

(iv)       that agreement be given to the prioritised use of properties listed under Table 9 in Appendix 1 for the purpose of providing temporary primary provision;

(v)        that authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Major Projects and Director of Children and Families in conjunction with the Lead Member of Regeneration and Major Projects to substitute a scheme with another if any of the proposed schemes in Appendix 1 are not feasible, subject to due diligence completed by the council and agreement with the school;

(vi)       that authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration and Major Projects to appoint one or more works contractors using existing construction frameworks, for the recommended temporary school expansion schemes referred to in paragraph (iii) above.