Purpose

Proposed
decision
 
The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills is
asked to:
 
(a) 
Approve the
replacement of the mobiles at Blean Primary School.
 
(b) 
Approve the allocation
of £1,440,000 from the Children’s, Young People and
Education Modernisation Programme Capital Budget to permit the required for
the modular replacement.
 
(c) 
Delegate authority to
the Director of Infrastructure to, in consultation with the
Director of Education, enter into any necessary contracts or other
legal agreements, as required to implement this decision;
and
 
(d) 
Agree for the Director
of Infrastructure to be the nominated Authority Representative
within the relevant agreements, with authority to enter variations
as envisaged under the contracts
 
Reason for the
decision
Kent County Council (KCC), as the relevant Local Authority,
is responsible for the maintenance of Community and Voluntary
Controlled school buildings in Kent. This responsibility is taken
seriously, with continuous maintenance and modernisation programmes in place to ensure that the school
estate is fit for purpose. Included within these programmes are routine building checks that
identify possible future maintenance issues with
accommodation.
 
Blean Primary School currently has 2 modular buildings
which are severely dilapidated and have reached the end of their
economic lifespan and both require replacement.  For economies of scale and to suit operation of
the school, it is proposed both separate units are being replaced
with one new teaching block.
 
Financial
Implications
 
The combined cost is estimated at £1,440,000 which is
inclusive of works, fees and contingency.
 
The cost for instructing the winning tender is as
follows.
 
Proposed Tender Costs: £1,063,900.00
Professional Fees: £159,352.00
KCC Contingency: Allowance £216,748
 
Total Forecast Project = £1,440,000
 
All costs are expected
to be capital costs only. This is proposed to be funded from the
Schools Modernisation Programme Capital Budget and £1.4m was
included as part of the capital budget agreed by the County Council
in February 2024. There are no revenue costs expected. 
 
Legal
Implications  
KCC, as the Local
Authority (LA), has a statutory duty to ensure sufficient school
places are available. This duty applies to Special Educational
Needs (SEN) provision, as well as mainstream settings. The County
Council’s Commissioning Plan for Education Provision in Kent
2024 - 28 is a five-year rolling plan which is updated annually. It
sets out KCC’s future plans as Strategic Commissioner of
Education Provision across all types and phases of education in
Kent.
 
KCC has a statutory
duty to provide a compliant standard of safety and comfort to
staff, children and visitors to the school. KCC also have a
statutory duty to provide school places and the implications of not
undertaking this work will lead to further deterioration, and
ultimately failure which could result in temporary school
closure.             

Decision

As Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, I
agree to:
 

1.   
Approve the replacement of the mobiles at Blean Primary School.
 

2.   
Approve the allocation of £1,440,000 from the
Children’s, Young People and Education Modernisation
Programme Capital Budget to permit the required for the modular
replacement.
 

3.   
Delegate authority to the Director of Infrastructure to, in
consultation with the Director of Education, enter into any
necessary contracts or other legal agreements, as required to
implement this decision; and
 

4.   
Agree for the Director of Infrastructure to be the nominated
Authority Representative within the relevant agreements, with
authority to enter variations as envisaged under the contracts.