Decision details

The County Council has a statutory duty to provide sufficient school places for all children who need a place.

Midhurst Rother College is an Academy Secondary School providing education for pupils aged 11 to 18 in the Midhurst/Petworth area and surrounding areas. The School was built in 2012 on the site formerly occupied by Midhurst Grammar School following a reorganisation of schools in the area. The School was completely rebuilt with the exception of the Sports Hall, incorporating changing rooms, which was considered adequate at the time.

The school was built for a Published Admission Number (PAN) for each year group of 240 (8 forms of entry (FE)) but due to low uptake of places has, until recently, operated at 6FE (180 places in each year group). Following an increase in parental preference and need for Secondary places in the area, the County Council have asked the Academy Trust to increase their PAN back to 240 to accommodate the current and projected need for places. Whilst the Academy accept the school was built as 8FE, they have raised the inadequacies of changing provision for the increasing numbers which necessitates secondary aged pupils changing in other facilities, including classrooms. An increase in changing provision, in line with guidelines set out in the Department for Education’s Building Bulletin 103, will enable the school to increase its PAN back to 240 in all year groups.  This will enable placement of secondary aged pupils close to their home, resulting in a reduction in school transport costs and a long term sustainable solution for the provision of Secondary places in the locality.

Approval is required for the allocation of funding from the Capital Programme to provide the necessary accommodation at Midhurst Rother College for the provision of additional changing facilities. The budget will fund all associated fees and furniture and equipment.

The Cabinet Member for Learning and Skills has approved:

(1) The allocation of £1.670m to fund the necessary accommodation as set out in paragraph 2.1 of the report to enable the provision of additional changing provision at Midhurst Rother College;

(2) The authorisation to commence a procurement process and delegation to the Assistant Director (Property and Assets) to appoint contractors to complete the design and cost the new accommodation;

(3) The delegation of authority to the Assistant Director (Property and Assets) to submit the necessary planning application and to obtain all statutory consents required, and to enter into a construction contract with the successful tenderer;

(4) The delegation of authority to the Assistant Director (Property and Assets) to apply to the freeholder for consent to the alterations under the lease dated 16th February 2011; and

(5) The delegation of authority to the Director of Law and Assurance to negotiate and agree the terms of a development agreement with the Academy Trust for the County Council and their contractors to enter the School and construct the changing facilities

None