To approve the schools capital investment strategy to enable the next phase of planning to commence.

The cabinet member young people and children’s wellbeing presented the draft strategy for cabinet consideration noting that the strategy provided a call to everyone to pull together to provide practical solutions to the issues identified. Already, through co-operation between council officers, head teachers and governing bodies much had been achieved but the strategy would provide a focal point for delivering further development.

In response to questions from cabinet members the following points were noted:

·         The strategy was not prescriptive in determining a minimum school size but principle five within the strategy provided guidance as to the issues to be considered

·         Positive discussions with a number of schools had already been held and innovative solutions were already being explored; moving into the next stage of planning and debate to include local communities was critical

In response to issues raised by members in attendance the following points was made:

·         The strategy acknowledged that the solutions did not lie only with the council but with all schools partners regardless of their status and, taken with the children and young people’s plan, would provide a sound basis for ensuring Herefordshire’s children received the best standard of education and access to opportunity

·         The strategy was sufficiently flexible to meet the requirements of emerging legislation; regardless of whether a school was a local authority maintained school or not the council retained a strategic role to ensure good quality education is in place to meet demand

·         Rural school issues in other council areas had been reviewed and the challenges of making changes to smaller rural schools were often left to one side in the light of falling school numbers

·         All schools had been visited to confirm the data held and discussions with schools had and would continue to take place; the strategy had not been developed as the result of a desk top exercise

·         The strategy would be developed in alignment with other strategic planning documents including neighbourhood development plans

·         Community and/or shared use of schools was recognised within the draft strategy to maximise the benefit of the assets; the council was no longer in the position to require schools to consider joint or shared use but would continue to work with schools and communities to explore the potential opportunities and benefits

·         The potential for participatory budgeting had not been specifically considered but all opportunities for wider funding would be explored on a case by case basis

·         Solutions were not yet being proposed to issues relating to the city and surrounding areas identified, however the strategy would provide the framework for identifying solutions

·         There was no evidence to suggest areas of concern in relation to staff morale were specifically related to  shared leadership arrangements; any such concerns should be brought to the attention of the head teacher and governing body of the school in question in the first instance

·         The strategy was aligned to the growth identified within the core strategy and investment requirements in those areas were accepted although the detail of how that investment was used would be determined as more concrete plans evolved

·         The specialist educational advisor for children with disabilities had been consulted

The cabinet member infrastructure emphasised the value of a coherent plan and effective engagement with communities in securing government and other funding to deliver fit for purpose educational facilities.

Resolved that:

(a)         the schools capital investment strategy be approved; and

(b)         detailed financial plans, including representation to the secretary of state for education be developed and brought to cabinet for approval as required