Agenda item

That:

1)         a scheme for the expansion of Addington School, with an estimated Capital cost of £4,400,000, as set out as Option 1B in the report, be approved subject to any clarification of the points made at the meeting and correction as necessary,  planning permission and other statutory consents being granted, and

2)         the development of further proposals, including a new special free school for children with autism and social emotional and mental health difficulties, improved accommodation for Foundry College and measures to support the retention of children in mainstream schools, including support for schools and sustainable arrangements for special education needs resource bases be approved. It was noted that these schemes will be the subject of a further report or reports in 2019.

3)         the Director of Customer Services and Localities is requested through the Local Plan Update to consider amending the boundary of the SULV to exclude the land in the curtilage of Addington School.

The Executive considered a report setting out proposals for the provision for children and young people aged 0-25 with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including potential options for the expansion of Addington School.

At this point in the meeting an interjection was made by a member of the public who queried whether the information contained in the report was actually correct as it appeared to suggest that the Council would be building on the SULV; which contradicted the answer given to her public question earlier in the meeting.  The Leader of Council stated that Councillor Younis would take the points up with Officers in order to clarify the matter and would then provide a response and if necessary apologise.

The Deputy Executive Member for Children’s Services advised the meeting that the proposal had come forward as a way of addressing current and future pressures in relation to children with special educational needs and disabilities.  A number of options had been considered and Option 1B to expand the Addington School, which had been rated as an “outstanding” school, and create 50 additional special school places was the preferred option. 

Members were informed that 133 children, which amounted to at least 40% of children requiring special school education, were being educated outside the Borough.  This meant disruption for the children, in terms of long journey times and less time with their families, and also created budget pressures for the Council.  In terms of costs Councillor Younis stated that it cost around £18,000 to support a child with special education needs in a Borough school and anything up to £67,000 to educate a child outside the Borough.   The intention was therefore to educate children within the Borough wherever possible.

Councillor Pollock highlighted the red line on the map on page 216 of the agenda and queried whether this showed the entire site of Addington School as this seemed to show that part of the SULV was actually within the curtilage of the School.  Councillor Younis confirmed that part of the SULV was within the boundary of Addington School and this was not going to be impacted.

With regard to the difference in cost between educating a child in the Borough and educating a child outside the Borough Councillor Pollock made the point that when children from other authority areas were educated in Borough schools the Council did not appear to be receiving the £75,000 that other authorities would have to pay in the independent sector and in fact he felt that the Council was actually receiving even less than the standard cost.  He felt that this was very unfair given that the Council was intending to spend significant amounts of capital money expanding a very good school but could then end up having to sell surplus places to other authorities at a discount.  He urged the Deputy Executive Member to look into this matter further.

Councillor Ferris interjected and highlighted the information contained in paragraph 6.11 of the report which stated that new buildings would be built on the existing car park and ball courts which were outside the SULV and these facilities would then be relocated to the part of the school site within the SULV.

The Leader of Council agreed that there was some ambiguity within the information that was provided and therefore further clarification was required. In response to Councillor Pollock’s comments about out of area children using Borough facilities Councillor McGhee-Sumner confirmed that the aim was to use the new facilities for the benefit of Wokingham children.

Councillor Jorgensen reminded the meeting that the proposal would be going before the Planning Committee for a decision therefore there would be every opportunity for people to influence the proposed expansion through the planning process as well.

The Leader of Council felt that further clarification was required on the points that had been raised at the meeting and therefore proposed that recommendation 1) be amended to include the addition of the following wording:  “subject to any clarification and correction as necessary” and this was agreed by the Executive.  

RESOLVED that:

1)         a scheme for the expansion of Addington School, with an estimated Capital cost of £4,400,000, as set out as Option 1B in the report, be approved subject to any clarification of the points made at the meeting and correction as necessary, planning permission and other statutory consents being granted, and

2)         the development of further proposals, including a new special free school for children with autism and social emotional and mental health difficulties, improved accommodation for Foundry College and measures to support the retention of children in mainstream schools, including support for schools and sustainable arrangements for special education needs resource bases be approved. It was noted that these schemes will be the subject of a further report or reports in 2019;

3)         the Director of Customer Services and Localities is requested through the Local Plan Update to consider amending the boundary of the SULV to exclude the land in the curtilage of Addington School.