Purpose

Proposed
decision:
 
The Cabinet Member for
Education and Skills to:
 
1.   
Authorise the allocation of an additional
£2,063,000, thus creating a revised project budget of
£16,963,000 from the Basic Need capital budget for the
expansion of Rosherville Church of England Academy, London Road,
Northfleet, Gravesend, Kent, DA11 9JQ, increasing the Published
Admission Number (PAN) from 20 places per year group to 60 places
per year group, facilitated by a relocation onto a new site on
Crete Hall Road, Northfleet, DA11 9AA.
 
2.   
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
 
3.   
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
 
On 6 March 2004, through Decision number 24/00019,
the Cabinet Member for Education and Skills agreed the funding for
the proposal based on robust cost estimates provided at that
time. 
 
This
proposal has experienced several significant challenges due to the
transfer of the land for the school site.  Additional costs have now been notified to the
Assistant Director North Kent, Ian Watts, that require a decision
to be made
 
 
Background
Gravesham
Borough’s population is increasing with more families moving
into the area and as a result, Kent County Council needs to add
additional primary school places to manage the increase in demand.
One strategy for providing additional school places is to expand
existing successful and popular schools.
 
The proposal addresses
two issues.  That of increasing the
primary provision in the Northfleet area and providing Rosherville
Church of England Academy with a new site and modern buildings,
within the Cable Wharf development, but less than 200 metres from
the existing school site.  This issue
has been mentioned in previous Kent Commissioning Plans for a
number of years.
 
Rosherville Church of
England Academy is a small 20 PAN primary school, sited on a
challenging site on top of a quarry cliff.  The site is unsuitable for several
reasons.  It is restricted by topography
on the south and east boundaries, and by the B2175 (London Road) to
the north. 
 
A Section 106 land
transfer agreement with Keepmoat Homes Ltd (the developer), entered
on 20th March 2019, was completed on 21st October 2024 following
protracted and complex negotiations with the developer. 
 
The Funding for this
project was granted under Record of Decision 24-00019. Costs were
calculated prior to tender submission as a result of the urgency
with which the contract was being entered. Department of Education
Output Specification has resulted in a measure of cost uplift, and
other cost pressures have been identified.
 
The
Predicted Overspend, including KCC contingency, is
assessed as being £2,062,923.
 
 
Securing Kent’s Future
 
The
'Securing Kent's Future' strategy outlines the measures that KCC
intend to take to ensure that Kent remains financially stable, now
and long into the future.  It describes
the statutory priorities, one of which being the statutory duty
to ensure sufficient school places are
available to any child or young person who requires
one.  This duty applies to Special
Educational Needs (SEN) provision, as well as mainstream
settings.
 
This
proposal is necessary for KCC to continue to deliver the statutory
duty, in a cost-effective way, in line with the guidelines
described in the Securing Kent's Future strategy. It will help to
maintain KCC’s strategic role in supporting schools in Kent
to deliver accessible, high quality education provision for all
families.
 
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. A copy of the latest plan can be viewed from
this link:
https://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/education-provision/education-provision-plan
 

Financial Implications
 

Capital
 
Funding
for this project was granted under Record of Decision 24-00019.
Costs were calculated prior to tender submission as a result of the
urgency with which the contract was being entered. Department of
Education Output Specification has resulted in a measure of cost
uplift, and other cost pressures have been identified.
 
·          
Record of Decision 24-00019 £14,900,000
·          
Forecast project cost @ 29/10/2024 £16,962,923
·          
Predicted Overspend, including KCC contingency
£2,062,923
 
An
allowance of up to £2,500 may be payable to the school, to
outfit each new teaching room with appropriate ICT equipment, such
as touch screens or projection equipment.  This will be met from the overall Capital
allocation for this project.
 
Should
the scheme not proceed through to completion, any costs incurred at
the time of cessation would become abortive costs and are likely to
be recharged to Revenue. This would be reported through the regular
financial monitoring reports to Cabinet.

 

Revenue

£6,000 per newly provided learning
space, would be provided towards the cost of furniture and
equipment.  This would be provided to
the school to purchase required equipment.  The school would receive funding for the
additional pupils that it admits in line with the funding allocated
to schools through KCC’s Schools Funding Formula.

 

Human

The school will appoint additional staff
as required; utilising revenue funding allocated through the
Schools Funding Formula for these additional pupils.
 

Decision

As Cabinet Member
for Cabinet Member for Education and Skills,
I agree to:
 
1.
Authorise the allocation of an additional £2,063,000, thus
creating a revised project budget of £16,963,000 from the
Basic Need capital budget for the expansion of Rosherville Church
of England Academy, London Road, Northfleet, Gravesend, Kent, DA11
9JQ, increasing the Published Admission Number (PAN) from 20 places
per year group to 60 places per year group, facilitated by a
relocation onto a new site on Crete Hall Road, Northfleet, DA11
9AA.
 
2.
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

 
3.
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