Overview

The following Statement of Priorities, for Capital expenditure 2002-2006 on Education premises in Leicestershire schools/colleges, represents one component of the documentary evidence required by the DfES by the 31st July 2002. The DfES will appraise the information and then make a judgement as to whether or not the LEA is sufficiently competent to enjoy autonomy in capital expenditure, 2002-2006. It will also form the basis of an annual monitoring process to ensure that the Authority is on target.

The Statement of Priorities is recognised by the DfES as the most important component of the information submitted by the LEA for appraisal. It is expected to show how the LEA, through capital investment strategies and plans, will deliver specific projects set within the context of national and local priorities. National priorities are to be regarded as of prime importance. Premises related priorities, in terms of Condition, Suitability and Sufficiency needs, have to inform rather than direct major priorities derived from national and local plans.

The structure of the Statement of Priorities follows the logic indicated in the above paragraph, and is divided into 5 parts.

Part A.
A contextual statement that outlines the LEA’s aims, and the complex relationship that exists between them and:

Included in this outline (Appendix A refers) is an overview of how the plans the LEA is required to compile enable the delivery of national and local priorities, and the general contribution of capital investment in the context of Asset Management Planning.

Part B.
This is a statement and review of the strategic priorities the LEA is required to deliver in terms of plans, and the implications for capital investment over the period 2001-2006. Utilising a current baseline, improvement targets are specified, along with the capital investment required to deliver them, and desirable outcomes are identified, in terms of enhanced teacher effectiveness and pupil attainment wherever possible.

Part C
A Statement identifying the process for identifying priorities from surveys of condition, suitability and sufficiency and how these will inform the LEA's strategic priorities.

Part D
A Statement of the basic principles underlying capital investment, including responsibilities of schools (using their delegated funds and Devolved Formula Capital), the importance of Option Appraisals, design standards, procurement, delivering projects to agreed deadlines.

Part E
A Statement outlining the LEA's Education Capital Programme for the period 2002-2006, plus an indication of how the LEA manages various capital funding streams to target resource expenditure in the most effective way.

A. Context

1. Aims of the LEA

1.1. The strategic aims of the LEA are detailed in the Education Department Strategic Plan 2002-2007, and are as follows:

           Raising attainment in the Foundation Stage, in Primary Schools and KS3 and KS4.
           Narrowing the attainment gap/tackling under-achievement.
           Support for schools causing concern.
           Maintaining progress at transfer and transition.
           Establishing a strategy for recruitment and retention of teachers and headteachers.

1.2 These aims are firmly rooted in the County Council's Medium Term Corporate Strategy which refers to providing community leadership and supporting effective partnerships to achieve real improvements in the way that services are delivered to, inter-alia, schools/colleges.

1.3 The second of the County Council's nine corporate objectives refers to achieving excellence in education and learning. This objective informs the importance attributed to the quality of the learning environment throughout this Statement of Priorities. The Education Department has an important role to play in contributing towards all of the County Council's objectives, but most particularly in the area of Advancing Lifelong Learning, where Leicestershire already has a strong and well-established tradition.

2. Delivering the Government's priorities

2.1 The County Council's EDP 2002-2007 and the AMPS Local Policy Statement, acknowledge Government priorities and relate specifically to:

These specifics inform the more generic Government priorities of:

3. Key Local Factors

3.1 The LEA will continue to monitor and identify areas of underachievement, particularly GCSE attainment in parts of Hinckley and Bosworth, and North-West Leicestershire. The capital implications of this, if any, are still to be determined.

3.2 There are likely to be areas of substantial pupil growth over the next 5 to 10 years as a consequence of new settlements proposed by developers. Appendix B details the major planned settlements but it is difficult to predict the implementation and phasing dates.

3.3 The LEA has established a sound professional relationship and understanding with the majority of the major housing developers, in the context of the new settlements described above. Developer contributions in the form of S106 Agreements will help to meet some of the costs of the educational infrastructure.

3.4 The LEA is faced with a substantial priority in terms of the need to replace 5 High Schools. They are constructed in part or as a whole on an Intergrid system, which means that they are prone to structural failure and require replacement within the next 15 years. Pending the identification of a solution, which may include a PFI scheme, the LEA will need to invest significantly in these schools over the short to medium term.

4. How will we achieve LEA aims and national priorities?

4.1. As detailed in the LEA's EDP and Strategic Plan (2002-2007), the LEA will continue to work in partnership with schools/colleges and other key partners, to target and improve educational achievement and promote a culture of self-evaluation leading to:

4.2 Therefore, it is through the effective implementation of agreed plans that the LEA will achieve the aims and priorities outlined above. Asset Management Plans and the associated processes have a key part to play in this.

5 The contribution of capital investment to the delivery of LEA and national priorities.

5.1 Appendix A summarises the national and local priorities that the LEA has to deliver, together with a summary statement of the implications for capital investment, as a part of the Asset Management Planning process. It will be noted that in some cases the contribution of capital investment has yet to be determined.

5.2 Capital investment is expected to contribute towards improved teaching and learning environments and to higher levels of pupil attainment. In order to deliver this the LEA will seek to ensure that high quality buildings are provided which offer the best long-term solution in terms of flexibility and durability. In particular, in the context of the replacement of temporary accommodation with permanent build and the resolution of split-site schools. In turn this can only be achieved by adopting a strategic and co-ordinated approach to the disparate sources of capital funding received by the LEA.

5.3 It follows that capital investment needs to be targeted at greatest need. In that context this LEA has continually striven to ensure that all types of school will receive parity of treatment in deciding need. The LEA welcomes the clarity that the AMP process contributes in terms of enabling objectivity and transparency in decision making.

6.1. This part of the Statement reviews the strategic priorities, national and local, that the LEA is responsible for in terms of plans which have capital implications. They are considered in the order shown in Appendix A. Appendix B indicates related improvement targets, 2002-2006, in terms of baseline measures, investment required and expected outcomes. In other words these are the means by which the AMP planning process will help to deliver LEA aims and national and local priorities.

6.2. The School Organisation Plan annually reviews the overall demand for school places.

The plan gives demographic information on forecasts of pupil numbers for a five year period, divided into District Council areas. It also details additional pupil numbers expected from housing gain, which may require the provision of additional school places. (The 2002/07 plan is being drawn up in parallel with this statement).

6.3. As Appendix B shows, the major areas of expansion are likely to be where District Council plans include the development of major new settlements of about 1000 houses. The start date and phasing of these proposals is still imprecise.

6.4. The removal of surplus places from both secondary and primary schools has resulted in Leicestershire having a well below average level of surplus places in primary schools.

6.6 The Education Development Plan, drawn up in consultation with schools sets the context and targets for raising educational standards and improving the performance of schools to the level of the best found in LEAs with similar characteristics to Leicestershire. The targets for the EDP are set with the objective of achieving national targets.

6.7 A safe and secure school is a prerequisite for effective teaching and learning. The LEA’s Security Plan can be described as follows. During the past decade, the LEA has sought to reduce the security risks at those schools deemed to be most at risk. Over the period 2002-2006 the LEA will expect schools to continue to undertake risk assessments and to take appropriate measures funded from individual Devolved Formula Capital allocations. In the case of extreme need the LEA would assess the case for a contribution from centrally held capital funding. In addition centrally funded projects incorporate crime reduction measures in their design.

6.8 An important national target in the EDP is to work with schools causing concern and requiring support and intervention. Where there is a premises related issue at a school in this category this would normally have been identified by one of the following methods:

In such schools it is necessary to establish that there is some causality between the school's performance and premises barriers, before compounding a recovery strategy through potentially disruptive major capital works.

6.9 In terms of increasing diversity the LEA has 2 beacon schools, one primary school and one secondary high school. 11 of the LEA’s 18 eligible secondary schools have been designated as specialist schools. Of these one has Sports College status, one has Language College status, two are Arts Colleges and seven are Technology Colleges. Other schools have expressed an interest in submitting bids in the future, probably in conjunction with their feeder High Schools. By precedent there are unlikely to be any implications for the capital programme as in the past the individual schools have raised the sponsorship funds from the private sector. Nevertheless, should government policy change to enable Leicestershire High Schools to benefit directly from specialist status, then the LEA may need to reconsider this matter.

6.10 The LEA is concerned to contribute towards reducing teacher workload/remodelling the school workforce, by targeting premises improvements at those schools which are in the greatest need. A methodology based on percentage of Gross Internal Area dedicated to staff/admin space, relative to BB82 standards, has been devised in consultation with the AMPs Reference Group for recommendation to elected members.

6.11 In meeting national targets for the 14-19 agenda, the EDP includes raising attainment for KS3 and KS4, and with particular reference to certain curriculum areas. Within these, Design, Technology and Art, are key areas for improvement of attainment. Premises surveys have identified where poor quality facilities/poor access to facilities are barriers to raising standards that should be resolved through the AMP. Further work will be required on this to determine an agreed methodology for the prioritisation of resource allocation. It will also be essential to ensure that the complementary professional development needs of teachers anticipate and parallel improvements to premises.

6.12 Seven of the eleven Specialist colleges in the County are Technology Colleges and this should help in the development and dissemination of good practice throughout the Key Stages and across the Primary and Secondary phases of provision.

6.13 The provision of high quality/sustainable building design solutions is envisaged as of fundamental importance to the delivery of the EDP and other plans of the LEA. The LEA has targeted the resolution of split site schools and the removal of temporary accommodation as key priorities within this, by combining Condition and Modernisation funding sources. Completed projects are evaluated in order to identify good practice in design and to ensure that all learn from this.

6.14 Enabling schools to meet National Curriculum requirements, where premises can be shown to be a relevant consideration, has already been referred to above under paragraph 6.9 on the 14-19 agenda. In terms of PE/Sport, the LEA has been provisionally allocated £3.5M over the period 2002-2005, which will provide additional facilities in both primary and secondary schools in both urban and rural areas, and serving the needs of the wider community as well. The LEA has provided adaptations to primary schools, in particular, open plan schools, to enable Numeracy, Literacy and Information Communication Technology to be effectively delivered. An assessment is made of how new and refurbished buildings are likely to contribute towards raising levels of pupil attainment. The LEA is establishing a process, which commits schools to a benchmarking exercise and measurement over a 3 year period or longer of attainment gains (paragraph 8.1 of the Statement of Priorities refers).

6.15 Raising attainment in the Foundation Stage and in the Primary School cross-refers to the Early Years and Childcare Development Plan in paragraph 6. As an integral part of this the LEA has an on-going programme of providing 4+ accommodation in the County’s primary schools. The Class Size Plan at Key Stage 1 is an important consideration in meeting the LEA’s statutory obligation to ensure class sizes of no more than 30 pupils. No targets are currently set as the LEA has met its obligations to date either through central government funding for additional class bases and/or enhanced revenue payments for additional staff. At this stage no further additional classrooms are required for KS1 class size implementation.

6.16 Narrowing the attainment gap/tackling underachievement cross-refers to the information given under paragraph 3.1 above where it is indicated that the capital investment implications have yet to be determined.

6.17 Maintaining progress at transfer and transition, refers to pupil progression from one phase of education to another, in particular between primary school and high school and then from there to Upper School for the majority of young people in Leicestershire. The potential for capital investment here, if any, is yet to be determined.

6.18 Resolving premises related urgent Health and Safety and Condition related work is a vital priority in enabling schools to continue to operate and deliver learning opportunities. It is an important AMP priority for capital investment, but the LEA does seek to ensure that the life cycle of that investment is considered in terms of other variables that might influence the medium to long term future of a particular building.

6.19 The Early Years and Childcare Development Plan identifies the need for quality nursery provision, particularly in socially disadvantaged areas. There are three separate but related initiatives that the LEA is currently refining and discussing with the partnership and appropriate schools.

The principle has been agreed by the County Council, of accommodation for excluded pupils, in order to provide 25 hours of tuition per week. The premises implications of this, are currently under investigation.

6.21. SEN Development Plan

The development of a new area special school for Melton, Thurmaston and Syston is programmed for the period 2002-2005. Resources have been secured from Targeted Capital Funding towards the provision of this new school to be created by the closure of two existing Special Schools. A Statutory Notice has been published. Contributions may be made from other agencies/voluntary groups for specific functions.

6.22. E.B.D. Provision

The strategic priorities have been agreed by the County Council in both the Behaviour Support Plan and SEN Development Plan. There are likely to be premises implications in terms of accommodating the Primary Team of the Student Support Service at a new base.

Members have agreed closure of a Children's Home at Blaby and alternative provision for Looked After Children will need to be provided in the Capital Programme 2002-2006.

6.23 Learning Support Units

Any further development is likely to be contingent on further central Government announcements of additional capital and revenue funding.

6.24. Access Strategy

The LEA’s Access Strategy, required by SENDA, will be based on the LEA’s current policy. This is to develop families of schools based on geographical areas and to meet the needs of known individual pupils who have a Statement of Educational Need. A significant number of schools have to be adapted to provide physical access for pupils with disabilities and also an appropriate learning environment for pupils with sensory impairments. The funding derived from the Schools Access Initiative has enabled this important area of work to be considerably enhanced in scope. The funding derived from the Learning Skills Council, in the context of Adult Continuing Learning, will enable increased physical access for members of the community as a consequence of capital works in 2002-2003, which will be delivered as part of the LEA's capital strategy and AMP to ensure delivery.

6.25 ICT Development Plan integrates the learning and ICT Development Plans of all schools/colleges, which contain targets for raising educational achievement. By 2005 the LEA intends that every school/college shall have access to Broadband facilities and the benefits this will bring. It is not yet clear whether DfES will fund these developments through continuation of NGfL funding or whether other capital resources will need to be utilised.

6.26 The Asset Management Plan is essentially a statement of priorities for capital investment and these are indicated in the final column of Appendix A. All of the national priorities indicated are considered further in the targets shown for 2002-2006 in Appendix B.

C. 7. Priorities arising from premises surveys

7.1. The premises surveys carried out for all schools/colleges identify, in consultation with Headteachers individual Condition, Sufficiency and Suitability needs, and provide the database of need informing the education capital strategy. These needs are not ends in themselves but inform the major priorities set out in the previous section.

7.2 Specific priorities arising from condition surveys

The LEA has identified, in consultation with the AMP Reference Group, an agreed methodology for prioritising condition works in the context of a limited resource base. A detailed guide has been issued to all schools on the respective responsibilities of the LEA and individual school/college governing bodies for maintenance work. Approximately 69%.of all schools have opted to buy into a centrally managed maintenance fund. Aided schools are a significant part of the balance. They have decided to pool their funds for this work, by Diocesan allegiance, rather than buy into the LEA’s School Maintenance Fund. Through appropriate training sessions Governors and Headteachers are encouraged to ensure that their planned maintenance is informed by the Condition Survey and complements planned work from central funds.

7.3 The Local Policy Statement accords high priority to:

7.4 Leicestershire has received NDS Condition allocations (both actual and indicative) totalling £13.8M for the 3 years 2001-04. £15.1M has been made available to schools as Devolved Formula Capital over the same period, in addition to delegated Repairs and Maintenance Funds of £18.2M. The proportion of delegated funds used for planned maintenance in accordance with AMP condition backlog, as part of the delegated funding managed by the LEA on behalf of schools, is 49.5%. In addition £2.3M per year is LEA retained capital school maintenance plus an Emergency fund of c£0.5M for expenditure on all County buildings including schools.

7.5 The replacement of temporary accommodation. This work enables both condition and suitability issues to be resolved at the same time and requires a joined-up approach to funding. Need is prioritised on the basis of those schools with the highest absolute number of pupil places in such accommodation. The assessment of suitability undertaken by the LEA has indicated that in those schools where temporary accommodation forms a significant part of their building stock, this places a major constraint on the delivery of the curriculum.

7.6 In order to realise capital improvements at the earliest opportunity, and to minimise slippage and erosive effects of inflation, the LEA has, through the County Council in-house design consultancy, implemented a variety of procurement strategies. These have included forms of 'partnering' with contractors chosen by competitive bids against a guaranteed maximum price. Our DfES Territorial Architect has been shown both the methodology and a particular example of the building project achieved by it.

7.7 Schools will be expected to contribute to LEA planned work involving condition related projects, from their Devolved Formula Capital, unless they can show that there are other equally important condition works that they intend to fund. This information is contained in the letter sent to all schools that informs them of their DFC allocation, and is an acceptable process to those schools involved.

7.8 Energy and water consumption rates

The LEA has sought to benchmark energy and water consumption, both between schools of similar sizes within the LEA, and relative to aggregate figures for other LEAs and national comparators. It will continue to undertake this work in future, along with seeking to identify cost-effective options for reducing water and energy consumption in the design specification of new and refurbished buildings. This is required by the County Council's Medium Term Corporate Strategy.

7.9. Specific priorities arising from suitability surveys

In consultation with the AMP Reference Group the LEA is seeking to develop a methodology for ranking suitability issues, for approval by elected members. It is proposed to use this methodology to assist in allocating funding from the ‘improving non-teaching spaces’ initiative and if appropriate for other suitability issues.

7.10 Leicestershire has been allocated £5.86M in NDS Modernisation funding for the two years 2002-03 and 2003/2004. As indicated in the paragraph above, the LEA has combined elements of Condition and Modernisation funding to tackle the removal of temporary accommodation.

8.1 There are a number of basic principles that underlie capital investment in Education in the LEA. They can be summarised as follows:

Immediately after project completion to assess the impact of the constructional process on the school.

6 months afterwards, when an attempt is made to i) Evaluate the effectiveness of the overall design of the project in improving the learning environment and contributing towards raising levels of attainment by pupils and ii) Secure theschools commitment to a benchmarking exercise to test the hypothesis that " Improved learning environments contributetowards higher levels of pupil attainment".

In 2002 we have secured the support of 2 High Schools and 4 Primary Schools for the benchmarking exercise, and a Special School is also considering this. Some of the materials gained from discussions to date, and the results of our evaluation, have been forwarded to our Territorial Architect for information and copies are enclosed in Appendix D.

9.1 Coherence from disparate capital funding sources.
Appendix E shows the diverse sources of capital funding that are allocated to the LEA. The challenge for the LEA is to:

Identify projects which will help to deliver national and local priorities, including premises related issues where appropriate.

Deliver projects that are long-term solutions and represent high quality provision.

These objectives can only be realised by joining-up the disparate sources of funding shown in Appendix E.

9.2 Appendices A and B indicate how this has been achieved by the identification of generic AMP priorities which are detailed in paragraph 10 of the Local Policy Statement. They are shown in summary form, with estimated financial implications where necessary in Appendix F. Appendix G shows the County Council’s Capital Programme for Education for 2002-2003 and the provisional programme for 2003-2005.

9.3 It will be noted that:

9.4 PFI

The LEA has 5 High Schools, which require replacement, in part, or whole, over the next 5 years. Preliminary discussions on PFI have already taken place with a representative of the DFES. Further internal discussions including discussions with the schools, are being held, as well as option appraisal, before a decision is made to opt for any particular funding strategy.