Decision details

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

Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee School (QEII School) in Horsham caters for a wide range of Special Educational Needs, for children aged between 2 and 19 with severe learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties or complex needs. This report seeks approval for the allocation of funding from the Capital Programme to increase accommodation at the school in order to provide sufficient capacity for the existing cohort of pupils which is now 105.

Over recent years additional pupils have been accommodated by the school but without the supporting investment in accommodation. Pupil numbers have increased from 85 in 2017 to 105 in 2019 and some classrooms built for 8 pupils are now accommodating far in excess of this number.

The building project being proposed is to provide a three class modular teaching block with associated group room, hygiene provision, storage and external works. The proposed project will ensure the school can continue to offer appropriate accommodation for the 105 pupils currently on roll.

The proposed project will not increase the capacity of the school and therefore offers no savings to the High Needs Block but will ensure the existing pupils on roll have improved accommodation. Without some investment in additional accommodation, the existing planned places cannot be sustained which would have the effect of increasing the number of children that would need to be placed in  Independent and Non-Maintained Special Schools (INMSS).

A feasibility study was undertaken by the County Council’s Multi-Disciplinary Consultant, Faithful+Gould Ltd in early 2020 which demonstrated how the additional accommodation could be provided on part of the land currently used as playing field by adjacent The Forest School. It is proposed that the loss of playing field is mitigated by the provision of an All Weather Pitch at The Forest School. This would be funded through Section 106 contributions and will be subject to a separate Key Decision.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Skills has approved:

1. The allocation of £1.4m to fund three additional classrooms with ancillary accommodation at Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee School, in Horsham;

2. The delegation of authority to the Director of Property and Assets to commence a procurement process and to appoint contractors to fully design and cost the new accommodation;

3. The submission of applications for full planning permission and statutory consents; and

4. That subject to receipt of planning permission and statutory consents, the delegation of the authority to enter into a construction contract with the successful provider to the Director of Property and Assets.

None