Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services.

The report updates the previous report (March 2014) which focused upon the Education Capital programme 2012 to 2016 and in particular the work underway to renew and extend educational estate in the face of the increased birth rate and additional demand for primary places being experienced at this time.

Schools Forum members are asked to note the report.

Officer Contact: Peter Hughes on 0161 474 3947 or email peter.hughes@stockport.gov.uk.

A representative of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the previous report of March 2014 which focused upon the Education Capital programme 2012 to 2016 and in particular the work underway to renew and extend educational estate in the face of the increased birth rate and additional demand for primary places being experienced at this time.

It was reported that Stockport received an annual ‘Basic Need’ grant of £0.956m as well as an additional £11.4 million ‘regeneration’ support from the Council’s Major Projects Group the previous year.

Stockport Council had achieved considerable success over previous years in gaining income streams for investment into the education buildings portfolio. Whereas once there was a single school rebuild project every 5 to 10 years, the current projects included:

·         Creating a new 3 Form Entry school building to replace both Orrishmere and Queen’s Road Primary Schools;

·         Rebuilding and extending 75% of Arden and Warren Wood Primary Schools;

·         Creating a new school building for Key Stage 2 of St Thomas CE Primary in the Heatons at the Peel Moat site;

·         Rebuilds for Werneth Secondary School as well as Abingdon, Bridge Hall and St John’s CE Primary Schools;

·         Major refurbishments at Hazel Grove Primary School, Cheadle Primary School and Great Moor Junior School as part of the successful phase 2 bids for Priority Building Schools Program funding from the DfE.

It was further reported that Stockport schools have been able to offer a meal to all infants from the inception date as required under the statutory obligation/requirements of the universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) initiative, and had also won additional central government funding for Hursthead Infants School and Bolshaw Primary School to support the introduction. A bid was also put forward on behalf of the diocese for further support for St Phillip’s Catholic Primary School and that bid was also successful.

Stockport had largely dealt with the current population bulge at primary age however it was reported that an area that had not yet been addressed was the capacity of the secondary sector to cope with this bulge as it rolls into year 7 and beyond. Additional pressure could have possibly been put on Special Educational Needs resources if the number of pupils with Special Educational Needs was to accelerate faster than the general population increase.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.