Issue - meetings

Proposals for the Expansion and Relocation of Abbey Court Special School

 

 

Meeting: 26/11/2013 - Cabinet (Item 6)

6 Proposals for the Expansion and Relocation of Abbey Court Special School pdf icon PDF 380 KB

Minutes:

Background:

 

This report provided details of the proposals for the expansion and relocation of Abbey Court Special School, based on an analysis of need, including actual and forecast pupil numbers for the next five years.

 

Abbey Court Community Special School was an outstanding school for pupils aged 3-19 with severe learning difficulties (SLD) and profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD), and was currently the only school in Medway able to cater for children with these most complex needs. The school was located on two separate sites, one in Rainham and the other in Strood, 12 miles apart.

 

The report set out the reasons for the additional provision, the benefits of relocating the school to a single site, together with the options for the relocation and expansion of the school.

 

Decision number:

Decision:

197/2013

The Cabinet approved proposals for the relocation and expansion of SLD (Severe Learning Difficulties) / PMLD (Pupils with Multiple Learning Difficulties) provision at Abbey Court Special School to the former Temple site.

198/2013

The Cabinet approved proposals to procure a contractor through the Hampshire Contractors Framework to develop design and cost specifications for the proposed scheme and to vire £925,000 for this phase of the project from the education capital programme.

199/2013

The Cabinet approved proposals to commence statutory consultation for the relocation and expansion of Abbey Court, set out in paragraphs 6.15 to 6.17 of the report.

 

Reasons:

 

The decisions will allow the Council to develop a detailed scheme to relocate and expand Abbey Court, which will:

·        deliver benefits resulting from the relocation of Abbey Court to a single site, set out in paragraphs 3.16 to 3.22 of the report;

·        deliver additional places to meet future demand set out in paragraphs 3.1 to 3.7 of the report;

·        enable a reduction in the number of children who would otherwise need to be placed in expensive independent and out of area schools set out in paragraphs 3.8 to 3.15 of the report.