Issue - meetings

The Board Director, Commissioning, the Head of Commissioning – Economy and Attainment and the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services submitted a joint report concerning the proposal for the permanent expansion of Even Swindon and Haydonleigh Primary Schools from September 2013 to three forms of entry, subject to planning permission.

The Chair, the Head of Commissioning- Economy and Attainment and the Strategic Planning Manager Commissioning Economy and Attainment, highlighted the key aspects of the report, in particular, the increasing pressure for additional primary school places in the North Swindon, Old Town and Swindon Town Centre areas.

The Chair referred to the outcomes of the consultation process undertaken by the Council, and explained that many of the comments related to highways issues that did not fall within the remit of this Panel but would be addressed during the Planning process. There had been a low level of response to the consultation but the majority of those who did respond were supportive of the proposed permanent expansion of both the schools.

The Panel noted that the schools involved had confirmed their support for the proposed expansion and that this support was shared across the school community with no objections being received to the public notice.

The Chair advised that he believed there was a clear case for the proposed expansion of the two primary schools. He drew attention to the support for the provision from the school community as made clear by the pre-statutory and statutory consultation findings and the lack of negative responses to the proposal.

Resolved – That the Cabinet Panel on School Organisation approves the proposals to permanently expand Even Swindon and Haydonleigh Primary Schools from September 2013, subject to the granting of planning permission by 1 July 2013, as set out in the statutory notices attached as Appendix 4.

            In reaching its decision, the Cabinet Panel confirmed that it -

·         had carefully considered the joint report and the representations made at the meeting by Council Officers.

·         was satisfied that

o   it had the necessary information in order to make the decision referred to above,

o   the Statutory Notices complied with the statutory requirements,

o   the statutory consultations were carried out properly prior to the publication of the Notices, and

o   the Notices did not relate to any other published proposal.

·         had carefully considered the factors to be considered by the decision makers, as set out in the statutory guidance from the former Department for Children, Schools and Families entitled ‘Expanding a Maintained Mainstream School.

            The reasons for the Cabinet Panel’s decision to approve the proposals were as follows:

A System Shaped by Parents

            The Cabinet Panel believed that the Local Authority was responding to the Government’s wish to see a dynamic system in which the best schools are able to expand and spread their ethos and success. The Local Authority was under a specific duty to respond to representations from parents about the provision of new schools, including requests to establish new schools or make changes to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10