Issue - meetings

The Corporate Director of Children, Education & Communities to present a report which provides an update on work to manage the schools capital programme during the period 2019-2023, sets out the current risks associated with the management of secondary place pressures in the south and east of the city, and recommends an approach to dealing with and mitigating these risks.

Resolved:  (i)      That the options and risks associated with the growth in demand for secondary school places in the south and east of the city be noted.

(ii)      That Option 2, to work with Pathfinder and South York Multi-Academy Trusts and allocate Basic Need funding of £10.4m for the provision of additional school places at Archbishop Holgate’s Church of England Academy (£4.4m) and Fulford School (£6m), as detailed in paragraphs 14, 19 and 20 of the report, be approved.

Reasons:   (i)      To enable the council to meet its statutory responsibility to provide sufficient school places and continue to meet duties to deliver high levels of parental preference.

(ii)      Option 2 is currently the most cost effective option and minimises in a sustainable way the majority of the likely risks associated with the delivery of additional secondary school places.

The Corporate Director, Children Education & Communitiespresented a report which provided an update on work undertaken to manage the schools capital programme during the period 2019-2023 and recommended an approach to mitigating the risks currently associated with the management of secondary school places in the south and east of the city.

The Local Authority (LA) had a statutory duty to ensure a sufficient supply of good / outstanding places in its local area.  Projections had indicated a need for additional places across the city to meet future needs, particularly at secondary level (Years 7-13), as set out in paragraphs 6-12 of the report.  Pressures were particularly acute in the south and east of the city; the catchment areas for Archbishop Holgate’s Church of England Academy and Fulford School.

The following options were available, as detailed in paragraphs 13-22 :

Option 1 – do nothing.  This would not deliver the statutory duty.

Option 2 – work to provide additional classrooms and social spaces at Archbishop Holgate’s and Fulford secondary schools, at a cost of £10.4m.  This was the recommended option, enabling both the statutory duty and parental preference to be met.

Option 3 – build a new secondary school through the free school presumption route.  This would cost a minimum of £25m and take at least 3 years to build.

Option 4 – transport pupils from the east and south catchment areas to other schools with spare places.  This would add to general fund pressures and fail to meet parental preference in these areas.

Having noted the comments made under Public Participation on this item, it was

Resolved:  (i)      That the options and risks associated with the growth in demand for secondary school places in the south and east of the city be noted.

(ii)      That Option 2, to work with Pathfinder and South York Multi-Academy Trusts and allocate Basic Need funding of £10.4m for the provision of additional school places at Archbishop Holgate’s Church of England Academy (£4.4m) and Fulford School (£6m), as detailed in paragraphs 14, 19 and 20 of the report, be approved.

Reasons:   (i)      To enable the council to meet its statutory responsibility to provide sufficient school places and continue to meet duties to deliver high levels of parental preference.

(ii)      Option 2 is currently the most cost effective option and minimises in a sustainable way the majority of the likely risks associated with the delivery of additional secondary school places.