Decision details

The Cabinet considered a report of the Executive Director (Children and Young People, which sought approval for a capital project that would offer additional places and enhance provision for pupils with additional needs at Yew Tree Primary School. The report was also seeking approval for the allocation of funding from High Needs Provision Capital Allocations (HNPCA) and Basic Need Grant towards the scheme.

Cabinet was informed that the submitted report related to a project at Yew Tree Community School that was intended to enhance existing provision and provide additional provision for KS1 pupils with additional needs. These proposals were developed sufficiently for costs and proposals to be placed before the Cabinet for a final decision. The proposed project would create a total of 24 new places in the school for children with additional needs.

Currently the Local Authority has around £2.8 M of Basic Need funding and £7.5 M of High Needs Capital Allocation Funding. It was proposed that where projects will generate additional places these projects would be funded from the HNPCA Grant provision.

Yew Tree Community School Yew Tree Community School serves the Chadderton area of the Oldham Borough and is a Community Primary School. This project will increase access to KS1 places for 24 children who may otherwise require specialist provision. This provision will have an emphasis on children with complex communication and interaction needs. Children enrolled in this provision would have SLCN (Speech, Language and Communication Needs) as their primary area of need. This project will lead to additional places and improved provision for children in Oldham. There was no specialist provision within this planning area which meant that children often are required to travel to other provision outside of their local area.

Yew Tree Community School is a mainstream primary school and caters for 647 pupils. The proposed project will provide a modular building situated on the school grounds adjacent to the KS2 main classrooms, this modular building will provide two large classrooms (split into four with movable walls), three intervention rooms, staff area and toilets.

This will provide a smooth transition between the two buildings. Classrooms are to be designed to accommodate a maximum group size of between 6-12 pupils The total cost of this project is estimated to be in the region of 592,100 (a total of £651,310 when including 10% contingency). It is proposed that this project is funded from the LA High Needs grant provision.

Options/Alternatives considered:

Option 1 (preferred Option) to approve the above capital investment for the project listed above to deliver the ambitions of the SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2023 – 2027.

Option 2: Do not approve the projects and risk not fulfilling the above strategy.

Resolved:

1.    That the Cabinet approves the capital project, detailed in the submitted report, that will offer additional places and enhance provision for pupils with additional needs at Yew Tree Primary School.

2.    That the Cabinet approves the allocation of funding from High Needs Provision Capital Allocations and Basic Need Grant towards the costs of the scheme.