Primary school expansion strategy

St. Mary’s RC Primary School

Chair: Paul Ballatt – Head of Commissioning, Strategy and Performance Children, Schools & Families Dept.

Councillor Peter Walker

Cabinet Member for Education London Borough of Merton

The Challenge

• Between 2007/8 and 2013/14 there will be a growth in the number of primary school children aged 4 of 30% -

800+

3 Key factors for expansion strategy

   Building on excellent education Sustainable solutions for our schools Value for money

Result of Borough wide consultation autumn 2010

7 Schools including St. Mary’s RC agreed to provide extra reception classes in September 2011 and consider permanent expansion Council budget in March agreed 4-year capital sums for primary school expansion programme

Tom Procter Manager of Contracts and School Organisation, Children, Schools & Families Dept.

Aim

• Rationale for why proposing expansion of St. Mary’s RC • Legal process • School’s vision for expansion • Building feasibility and phasing strategy

Birth rate increase = additional primary school places Year children will enter reception class 2007/08 Corresponding Birth figure 2,612 Rise from 2007/08 Extra classes (FE – form of entry) 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2,785 2,893 2,972 3,250 3,320 3,419 173 281 360 638 708 807

3FE 3FE 3FE 7FE 2FE 3FE

Why St. Mary’s?

- Overall criteria in selecting schools

• Educational standards – good & outstanding schools • Parental preference - popular and over-subscribed schools • Smaller schools expand where feasible • Location – where places most in demand • Physical constraints of existing school sites • Value for money and affordability • Balance of faith based schools

Legal process for St. Mary’s RC

Decision made

• Extra reception class in September 2011

This consultation on permanent expansion from September 2012

• Statutory consultation to 11 May > Consider > Publish a statutory notice > Decision > Statutory duty to implement • Decision is after planning permission granted for building or “subject to planning permission”

Sarah Crouch

Headteacher, St. Mary’s School

School vision for expansion

What can we gain?

More space Better teaching opportunities Places for Catholic children

To be the best that we can be

Increased sense of community More resources One school, One building

What we don’t want to lose.

Ethos Facilities e.g. ICT suite

To be the best that we can be

Playground space Calm learning environment The way all children integrate

Building project

Existing site and surrounding

Building project

Value for money for short term and long term solutions • Short term – extra reception class • Longer term – school gradually providing for 7 extra classes (210 pupils) from 2011/12 to 2017/18

Feasibility study – key questions

• Council building used in the short term?

• Council building used or demolished in longer term?

• Feasible to connect to existing school building?

• School improvement/value for money/affordability

Feasibility study – priorities for school

• Additional 7 classrooms • 2 nd hall/larger hall for assemblies • Early years play • Whole school play/PE • Appropriate ICT facilities • Appropriate staff facilities

Existing site close up

Building Expansion strategy – DRAFT feasibility layouts

Phase 2 – By Sep 2012 Phase 3 – By Sep 2014 Phase 1 – staff car park becomes playground Phase 1 – ground floor of building for 2 classrooms until summer 2014 at latest Phase 3 – Building demolished for play space by Sep 2014

Note – this is a draft indicative layout from the feasibility study – not a final layout plan

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

What questions do we have for the council?

What happens if the budget is not available?

Timing-if the two classes are not ready for September, what happens? How would this be funded?

Why are we not building two new Reception classes straight away?

How much say do we have on details and how much say do we have on bigger picture decisions?

Can we say no?

Are there enough children?

What will the length of the building programme be?

Will the council give a guarantee to complete the chosen option?

Is there adequate funding for heating, lighting and resources?

Why are we not having a prefab classroom rather than the social services building?

Will we have foundations that can take an extra storey?

Is the social services building structurally sound?

Is it possible for parents to meet with the building team?

How are the Council going to communicate once everything starts?

Will we get to retain any budget surplus?

How will noise disruption affect children?

When will the Council decide which option to go with?

Eco friendly build? Solar panels?

What did the Council learn from expanding Holy Trinity?

Agreed reception class expansions

Year 21 FE total - 630 extra reception places in 6 years) Forms of entry (FE) increase Schools

2008/09 2009/10 3FE 3FE Wimbledon Chase, Holy Trinity and St. Thomas of Canterbury RC Benedict, Hollymount and Joseph Hood Bishop Gilpin CE (1 yr), Aragon 2010/11 3FE and Cranmer All Saints CE, Gorringe Park, Liberty, St. Marys RC, Singlegate, William Morris and Wimbledon 2011/12 7FE Park, Plus 2012/13 2013/14 2FE 3FE Dundonald? & one to confirm To confirm