To approve a new permanent building at John Kyrle High School & Sixth Form Centre to accommodate additional pupils admitted from September 2021 in response to rising numbers in Ross-on-Wye and to meet parental preference, and to agree the procurement approach to deliver the required works.

The cabinet member commissioning, procurement and assets introduced the report. The assistant director education development and skills summarised the key points:

·        The extension would be funded by grant monies from the Department for Education;

·        There was a predicted growth in demand for secondary school places in Ross-on-Wye, as the only secondary school in the town John Kyrle High School was the logical choice to provide additional places;

·        The extension would allow the school to provide an additional 30 places per year group starting in September 2021;

·        It was proposed that the school would manage the build and manage the risk of any overspend, the council would pay grant monies on receipt of invoices to ensure appropriate expenditure;

·        The grant was subject to the project obtaining planning permission.

In discussing the report cabinet members highlighted the importance of aiming for the highest environmental standards in buildings supported by the council and hoped that future projects would learn from this extension.  

Group leaders expressed support for the proposal in light of housing growth in the area and the high standards at the school. The high environmental specification was welcomed as it was noted schools represented a large part of the councils carbon emissions.

It was agreed that:

(a)   Subject to securing planning consent, a grant of £2,300,900 be awarded to John Kyrle High School and Sixth Form to fund an extension to the John Kyrle High School & Sixth Form Centre to enable its permanent expansion from seven forms of entry (210 pupils per year group) to eight forms of entry (240 pupils per year group); and

(b)   The grant being made subject to a requirement that the build be designed and completed with the objective of obtaining a BREEAM excellent or Passivhaus certification. £260k of the grant being allocated is specifically for this purpose.