Agenda item

Report ED13098

Members of the Forum considered a report outlining the progress of the planned expansion of Glebe school.

The number of children diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the Borough was growing, and it had been identified that there would be a projected shortfall of 120 specialist ASD places for young people aged 11-16 years and 36 places for young people aged 16+ years by 2021.

On 25^th July 2012, the Council’s Executive gave ‘in principle’ approval to the expansion of Glebe School by 2 forms of entry (16 pupils) from September 2014, with 12 additional pupil places in Years 12 and 13.  This would be subject to statutory consultation and would provide a total of 104 additional places at the school which could be used to provide places to both new pupils and existing Bromley pupils who currently received schooling out of the Borough.  At the meeting, the Council’s Executive requested that the outcome of the consultation be reported back and, subject to a satisfactory outcome, that the Executive approve a loan from the Council’s reserves of £4.8m to complete the necessary building works to be repaid by the Dedicated Schools Grant over 6 years and the procurement of the consultancy relating to the building.

The consultation for the proposed permanent expansion of the school had run from 11^th January to 15^th February 2013, and produced 36 responses which were largely supportive of the proposals.  The Governing Body also supported the proposed changes to school organisation, as did the School Council, which accepted the reasons for expansion and the subsequent increased student numbers but expressed a number of concerns that would be addressed by the school on an ongoing basis.  In consideration of this, the Portfolio Holder for Education had resolved to proceed with formal statutory proposals to implement the permanent expansion of the Glebe Foundation School from September 2014. 

On 12^th June 2013 a statutory notice was published in the News Shopper, inviting comments or objections to the proposal to enlarge the school by 16 places per year from September 2014. This was displayed as required on the school gates, in local libraries and circulated to all interested parties, as well as published on the Bromley Council website, for a six week period ending 24^th July 2013.  No objections to the proposals had been received, and this was reported to the meeting of the Education Portfolio Holder on 21^st August 2013.  Following consideration, the Education Portfolio had resolved that the expansion of the Glebe Foundation School with effect from 1st September 2014 be approved as set out in the statutory notice. 

In considering funding of the expansion of Glebe School, it had been identified that there was an underspend of £5.4m of the Dedicated Schools Grant for 2012/13, which would be carried forward into future years until required and would negate the requirement for the loan from reserves.  The expansion would therefore be funded from an £800k contribution to capital in the Dedicated Schools Grant budget for 2013/14, supplemented by the Dedicated Schools Grant carry forward as and when required.

RESOLVED that the report to the meeting of the Council’s Executive on 11^th September 2013 be noted.