Issue - meetings

RESOLVED:

That, subject to the agreement of the detailed financial information for the expansion set out in Part 2 of this agenda, the business case for the provision of an additional 300 secondary places be approved.

Reasons for Decisions:

The proposal supports the Authority’s statutory obligation to provide sufficient school places, relative to demand.

[The decision on this item may be called in by either the Council Overview Board or the Education and Skills Scrutiny Board]

The Cabinet Member for Schools, Skills and Educational Achievement informed Members that this was the first of three school expansion projects that she was bringing to Cabinet today, resulting in an additional 540 school places in Surrey.

She presented the first report, which requested approval of the business case for the expansion of St. Bede’s School from a 9 Form of Entry secondary (1,350 places, plus Sixth Form) to an 11 Form of Entry secondary (1,650 places, plus Sixth Form), thereby creating 300 additional places, to help meet the basic need requirements in the Reigate and Redhill area from September 2017.

She also drew attention to the projected demand for secondary school places in this area, as set out in paragraph 3 of the report and said that the immediate pressure of managing demand in the area had resulted in a ‘bulge’ class at this school.

She said that the latest published Ofsted report had rated the school as ‘Good’ and highlighted the consultation process which would be undertaken as part of the pre-planning application process.

RESOLVED:

That, subject to the agreement of the detailed financial information for the expansion set out in Part 2 of this agenda, the business case for the provision of an additional 300 secondary places be approved.

Reasons for Decisions:

The proposal supports the Authority’s statutory obligation to provide sufficient school places, relative to demand.