Agenda item

That authority be delegated to the Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Director of Resources and Assets and the Lead Member for Children’s Services, to negotiate and enter into an agreement with the Bohunt Education Trust for a joint project to create a new sixth form at the Bohunt School Wokingham.

That the delegated authority and agreement are subject to the following conditions:

1. the expansion and change of age range is approved by the Secretary of State;

2. in the period of the 5 years after the approval of this option the school delivers a flexible package of additional school places to include: an additional 30 Y7 places in September 2022; up to an additional 30 Y7 places if needed when acceptance offers are known (including to independent schools); additional Y8 and Y9 places to meet increasing demand through in-year applications, especially for girls;

3. that SEND provision is strengthened over time to ensure appropriate 11-18 education pathways for Bohunt pupils with SEND;

4. that the final agreement includes key parts of the business case presented to the council in February 2022, including undertakings related to the management of admissions to the sixth form;

5. agreed conditions in a funding agreement that shall include matters such as cost sharing, funding profiles, timetable, risk, overspends, procurement strategy;

6. that Bohunt Educational Trust contributes at least £2million to the scheme;

7. that £1.5m is vired from the Basic Needs Capital Programme in 22/23 which will be vired back from the Post 16 Capital Programme in future years; and

8. any other conditions that the Director of Resources or Director of Children’s Service deems necessary as set down in a funding contract between Bohunt and the Council.

The Executive considered a report setting out options for the provision of post-16 education in the Borough.

During his introduction the Executive Member for Children’s Services highlighted the issues relating to sixth form provision in the Borough and particularly in the South and also the fact that when Bohunt opened it was envisaged that it would have a sixth form. At that time Bohunt instead used its total admission numbers to accommodate 11-16 year olds only.  Councillor Howe confirmed that whilst considering the proposal consideration had been given to the implications for other schools if Bohunt were to add a sixth form.  It was noted that a sixth form at Bohunt was strongly supported by the local community.

Councillor Howe informed the meeting that neither Bohunt or Oakbank, the two most southerly secondary schools in the Borough had sixth forms.  Data showed that last year all but 14 of Bohunt’s leavers went to Farnborough College and the remaining 14 had gone to other sixth forms in the Borough.  Most of the housing growth in recent years had been in the south of the Borough and it was therefore natural that parents would want their children educated within the Borough. Providing a sixth form at Bohunt would also aid the green agenda and keep those pupils within the local community.   In addition in the last year the Council had received unprecedented numbers of in-year applications and all of these pupils would of course end up requiring some form of post-16 provision. 

Councillor Howe went into detail about the discussions that had been held with the Bohunt Educational Trust regarding their proposal which included not just academic provision for sixth formers, but agreement had been gained that Bohunt would provide an appropriate level of SEND provision for 11-18 year olds, which was not something they currently provided.  This would mean that children with educational healthcare plans could be accommodated at Bohunt, freeing up spaces in other schools.

The meeting was advised of the pressure for places in all year groups and the fact that Bohunt had agreed to a flexible package of additional places to include from this September 30 Year 7 places and would make provision for another 30 Year 7 places if the demand required it.  Additional Year 8 and Year 9 places would also be provided to meet the increasing and as yet unknown demand.  This would also alleviate placements in other areas of the Borough too.

It was confirmed that consultation had been carried out with the Borough Educational Partnership, which was made up of Headteachers from across the Borough. 

Councillor Howe also confirmed that the total cost of the provision was estimated at £5.7m, of which the Bohunt Trust would make a contribution of £2m.  The remaining £3.7m was already accounted for in the Medium Term Financial Plan.

Councillor Howe gave his thanks to the Officers for preparing the report within such a short timescale, Bohunt Educational Trust for their engagement and collaboration and the other Headteachers, through the Educational Partnership, for enabling rapid discussion and their pragmatism in taking the project forward.

A number of Members spoke in support of the Bohunt proposal including Councillor Margetts who outlined the benefits of the proposal and the efforts that been undertaken to get to this stage, including support from the local community in the form of two petitions. 

RESOLVED: That authority be delegated to the Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Director of Resources and Assets and the Lead Member for Children’s Services, to negotiate and enter into an agreement with the Bohunt Education Trust for a joint project to create a new sixth form at the Bohunt School Wokingham.

That the delegated authority and agreement are subject to the following conditions:

1. the expansion and change of age range is approved by the Secretary of State;

2. in the period of the 5 years after the approval of this option the school delivers a flexible package of additional school places to include: an additional 30 Y7 places in September 2022; up to an additional 30 Y7 places if needed when acceptance offers are known (including to independent schools); additional Y8 and Y9 places to meet increasing demand through in-year applications, especially for girls;

3. that SEND provision is strengthened over time to ensure appropriate 11-18 education pathways for Bohunt pupils with SEND;

4. that the final agreement includes key parts of the business case presented to the council in February 2022, including undertakings related to the management of admissions to the sixth form;

5. agreed conditions in a funding agreement that shall include matters such as cost sharing, funding profiles, timetable, risk, overspends, procurement strategy;

6. that Bohunt Educational Trust contributes at least £2million to the scheme;

7. that £1.5m is vired from the Basic Needs Capital Programme in 22/23 which will be vired back from the Post 16 Capital Programme in future years; and

8. any other conditions that the Director of Resources or Director of Children’s Service deems necessary as set down in a funding contract between Bohunt and the Council.