Longspee School Feasibility Study on Extending the Age Range of the School to Key Stage 4

Sequential number

• Action taken in an attempt to comply with Standing Orders including liaison with other authorities who have encountered similar issues.
• Procedures in place to ensure future compliance with Standing Orders.
• Nominated officer responsible for compiling evidence to support Best Value requirements for exceptions to competitive tendering.

Proposal for approval

To appoint Atkins Ltd to undertake further feasibility work relating to extending the age range of Longspee School up to the end of Key Stage 4.

Background

Longspee School was originally a primary school for pupils aged 5-11 who exhibit behavioural, emotional and social development difficulties (BESD). There was no secondary school provision in Poole for pupils aged 11-16 who experience emotional, social and behavioural difficulties and children of secondary school age previously had to be placed at schools in other local authorities.

When proposals were brought forward by the Authority in February 2005 to extend the age range of Longspee School to accommodate pupils in Key Stages 3 and 4, the Governing Body and staff of Longspee School raised concerns that the present school site was not suitable to provide for pupils in Years 10 and 11 (Key Stage 4). Even with Key Stage 1 located in a satellite unit at Sylvan First School, the Governing Body and staff considered that the present school site could not accommodate Key Stages 2, 3 and 4. Therefore, the Authority amended its proposal to extend the age range for Longspee School from 11-14, rather than from 11-16 as originally proposed. The extended age range came into effect in September 2005.

From September 2007 Key Stage 4 provision will need to be found for the pupils who are currently in Year 8 at Longspee School. Discussions have taken place with Bournemouth and Poole College, Bournemouth Council and Dorset County Council but none of these are able to make suitable provision available. As no suitable local provision can be found, it would be necessary to place these pupils in residential schools. The revenue costs of this would be approximately £1 million per annum for the Poole children currently on roll at Longspee School. This figure may rise over time if more Poole children are admitted to the school.

Discussions took place with the acting headteacher and governors of Longspee School as to whether Key Stage 4 pupils could be accommodated within the existing school building if Key Stage 2 pupils were accommodated in a satellite unit.

Four possible locations for the Key Stage 2 facility were identified:

1.Longspee School – as a separate unit on the main school site

2.Sylvan First School – adjacent to the Key Stage 1 satellite unit

3.Branksome Heath Middle School – either within the main school building or as a separate unit on the school site

4.Manorside Combined School – either within the main school building or as a separate unit the school site

Atkins Ltd were appointed in July 2006 to undertake a desk top options appraisal to explore the outline costs, timings and practicalities of providing a discrete facility for the education of up to 14 pupils, in the age range 7-11, who are experiencing social, emotional and behavioural difficulties at each of the four possible locations. The completion date for the build was September 2007.

Atkins Ltd submitted a lump sum quotation of £9,900 for this work and Borough of Poole order number 84266 was issued to them on 25th July 2006.

The feasibility study was completed at the beginning of September 2006. Atkins Ltd presented their report to a meeting attended by John Nash, Jane Portman, Vicky Wales, Terry Finn and Eric Bell on 5th September. The findings were as follows:

1.It would not be feasible to develop a discrete facility within the main school buildings at Manorside Combined School or Branksome Heath Middle School.

2.It would not be feasible to develop a discrete facility adjacent to the Key Stage 1 satellite unit at Sylvan First School.

3.It would not be feasible to develop a discrete facility as a separate unit on the Branksome Heath Middle School site.

4.It would be feasible to develop a discrete facility as a separate unit on the Longspee School and the Manorside Combined School sites.

5.It would not be feasible to complete the build ready for occupation by September 2007.

Further feasibility work

In the light of the conclusions of the feasibility study and following discussions with the acting headteacher and governors of Longspee School, it is proposed to undertake further feasibility work as follows:

1.To explore the outline costs, timings and practicalities of adapting the main building of Longspee School to create accommodate suitable for Key Stages Three and Four.

2.To explore the outline costs, timings and practicalities of adapting surplus accommodation at Carter Community Sports College to create a temporary Key Stage 4 unit for the pupils who are currently in Year 8 at Longspee School.

Atkins Ltd were asked to provide quotations for carrying out this work. (See attached). The total cost of the quotations is £15,650. It is proposed that a contingency of £10,000 should be included in case further options arise in the course of the work that need to be considered.

During the first stage of the work, Atkins Ltd built up considerable knowledge and a very positive working relationship with Longspee School. If another firm were appointed to undertake the work, they would not be familiar with the issues and so would need to spend time learning about the issues and getting to know the school before they could take the work forward. The school would consider it a waste of their valuable time to have to cover this ground again. Momentum has built up through the first phase of the feasibility study and the LEA and the school are keen to build on this to take the project forward. In addition, in order to complete the building work needed to create the temporary Key Stage 4 unit ready for occupation in September 2007, this work needs to be undertaken as a matter of urgency.

The purpose of the next phase of the feasibility study is to take the planning, design and costings to RIBA stage B/C (B = feasibility; C = outline proposal). It is intended that when the projects move to Stage D (scheme design) competitive bids will be sought for the professional services needed. This has been made clear to Atkins Ltd.

Therefore, an exemption to SO24 is sought in order to appoint Atkins Ltd to carry out further feasibility at a maximum cost of £15,650. Approval is also sought to include a contingency of £10,000 to cover any further feasibility work that may be necessary.

The total budget for this feasibility project is therefore:

KS2 unit£ 9,900

KS3/4£15,650

Contingency£10,000

Total£35,550

This additional feasibility work will be funded from the Education Capital Programme 2006-07.