Issue - decisions

Members considered a report informing them that York had been selected as one of 25 pathfinder authorities to be invited to build a single new secondary school under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

The DfES had prioritised the order in which Local Authorities entered the scheme using the joint critieria of school standards and ward deprivation factors.  However, in the case of York, the DfES had recognised that this would mean a considerable wait before schools with major condition and suitability issues could be renewed. 

It was noted that there were a number of mandatory terms and conditions set by the DfES as part of their offer, including:

·         The new building must be opened by September 2009

·         The scheme must be delivered on budget

·         The scheme must be consistent with the authority’s long-term secondary strategy and the educational vision of BSF

·         The scheme is required to achieve a schools BREEAM ‘very good’ rating in terms of its environmental performance

·         The scheme must use the Design Quality Indicator for Schools and adopt best principles in project procurement

·         The LA must evaluate the outcome of the project and share the results with the DfES, Partnerships for Schools (PfS) and other LAs.

Members were informed of the analysis undertaken to consider which of the secondary schools in York should be nominated as the Pathfinder school.  This included school capacity, pupil numbers, building condition, school improvement targets and standards.  Four schools were short listed but the final report recommended that Joseph Rowntree school be selected as the pathfinder school as it was in need of at least £3.2 million worth of condition work to bring basic facilities to a reasonable standard.

The next stage involved consultation on design and Members asked that the results be presented to the committee once completed.  It was also noted how important it was to ensure the inclusion of facilities for community use and it was recognised that grants could be sought to enhance this part of the project. 

Advice of the Advisory Panel:

That the Executive Member be recommended to:

·              Note that York had been selected as one of 25 pathfinder authorities to be invited to build a single new secondary school under the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.

·              Nominate Joseph Rowntree School as York’s pathfinder and request officers to work with the school in order to prepare and submit a detailed proposal as required by the DfES.      

 Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:            That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed

REASON:            To progress work in this area.