Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Education.

The report outlines the challenges the Council faces in relation to placements of pupils with SEND.

It considers a series of options and concludes with a business case for the preferred option which is to expand, rebuild and relocate Lisburne School, and undertake the necessary public consultations.

The Cabinet is invited to:-

·             approve development of the proposal for an expanded and re-built Lisburne School on an alternative site subject to consultation in line with School Organisation Regulations;

·             approve the funding model for the proposal in line with the financial evaluation provided in Section 5.

Officer contact: Phil Beswick, 0161-474-3832, phil.beswick@stockport.gov.uk

The Cabinet Member for Education submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the challenges that the Council faced in relation to the placement of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), considered a series of options and concluded with a business case for the preferred option which was to expand, rebuild and relocate Lisburne School, and undertake the necessary public consultations.

The new building would bring increased capacity and it would reduce the transportation of pupils with SEND to expensive, independent special school placements. The investment would be supported by the Special Provision Capital Fund, the ring fencing of any capital receipts from the sale of land, and corporate borrowing. The cost of corporate borrowing would be funded through cost avoidance from the transport budgets.

Cabinet Members praised the extensive amount of work which had gone into arriving at this solution to the operational and financial challenges faced by the Council as the number of pupils who required special educational need places expanded beyond the current capacity.

RESOLVED – (1) That the development of the proposal for an expanded and re-built Lisburne School on an alternative site be approved, subject to consultation in line with School Organisation Regulations.

(2) That the funding model for the proposal, in line with the financial evaluation provided in Section 5 of the report, be approved.

To consider a report for the Director for Education Services.

The report outline the current position in relation to specialist school provision within the borough, and to describe the operational and financial challenges faced by the Council as the number of pupils who require special educational need places expands beyond the current capacity.

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

Officer Contact: Phil Beswick on Tel: 0161 474 3832 or email: phil.beswick@stockport.gov.uk

The Director for Education Services submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the current position in relation to specialist school provision within the borough and describing the operational and financial challenges faced by the Council as the number of pupils who require special educational needs places expands beyond the current capacity.

The following comments were made/issues made:-

·         The Committee noted that the demand for Local Authority special school placements was being felt in both the primary and secondary sectors but that the demand pressures facing the primary sector were increasing quicker as the number of children on an EHC Plan was increasing faster that the general population.

·         A Councillor asked for clarification on how the five key principles in the Options appraisal had been arrived at and what discussions had taken place in respect to addressing pressures both at the present time and in the future on the secondary sector.

·         The Committee noted the plans to build a larger replacement Lisburne School and that due to the proposed increase in the size of the school a public consultation was required.

·         A number of members suggested that an investigation should be carried out at the earliest opportunity to find a site that could also accommodate secondary provision at a later stage.

·         Councillors sought assurance on the borrowing costs associated with the scheme and on how they would be financed.

·         There was broad support for the proposals in spite of the risks that had been highlighted. It was suggested and agreed that Offerton Ward Councillors be briefed on the proposals.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted and that the Cabinet Member for Education and Director for Education be requested to provide regular updates to the Scrutiny Committee.