Decision details

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.    Note the progress made with primary and secondary school expansions, the school condition programme and other school capital projects.

2.    Agree to delegate all future decisions required to facilitate the projects linked to the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) deficit recovery safety valve agreement and the associated bid for additional Special Educational Needs capital grant to the Leader of the Council, Cabinet Member for Property & Infrastructure and other relevant Cabinet Members, in consultation with the Corporate Director of Place.

3.    Approve the opening of a specialist Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) Designated Unit for pupils with a diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), to be located within the rebuilt Harlington School to open in September 2023, following a formal consultation which ended 11^th March 2022.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet received a comprehensive update on the primary and secondary school expansions, the school condition works programme and other school capital works.

The Cabinet Member for Property & Infrastructure acknowledged the significant work over many years to ensure every child in the Borough would have a school place, which had resulted in the Council building new schools, expanding existing schools and other new facilities across the Borough.

The Cabinet Member for Families, Education & Wellbeing explained how some spaces in school were being re-purposed to meet changes in demand. The Cabinet Member noted the breadth of construction projects, and capital investment, outlined in the report to provide additional special educational needs places in the Borough.

An addendum to the report was tabled, to give formal effect to the proposal detailed in the report to open a specialist SEND unit within the rebuilt Harlington School, as required under Department for Education statutory guidance.