Sam Fowler, Southwark Schools for the Future, Project Director
Minutes:
Sam Fowler, Project Director at Southwark Schools for the Future, informed the meeting that there was pressure on primary school places in the borough and across London. There was an identified need in the Dulwich area now, and over the next two to three years. Currently this was met by bulge classes, and temporary expansions would be put in place for 2013/14, while moving forward with permanent expansions in the long term. Dulwich was unique because of the underlying pressure on school places, and because it had smaller community schools and academies which were spread out geographically. They therefore could only provide limited response to this pressure. There was a long list of expansion proposals in a report to cabinet which could be found on the Southwark website. Sam’s team were working with the schools to explore the options for expansion in the area: Dulwich Hamlet, Dulwich Village and Langbourne, the latter of which was ready for expansion. Bessemer Grange School was also looking to take an expansion class, and was a candidate for possible expansion.
Responding to questions from residents and councillors, Sam explained that discussions with the NHS had taken place about the possibility of locating a school on the site of the Dulwich hospital with the NHS. He was aware of a proposal to free school on the site. Budgets required for the different options were being put together, and worked up into viable programmes. The outcomes of studies would be reported to the cabinet member responsible by January/February 2013, while funding would be coming through from the Department for Education in January 2013.
In answer to questions by councillors, Sam explained Southwark had the option of building a new school through a tendering process, which could include the Dulwich Hospital site, but the financial implications were significant and regard had to be had to best value when delivering school places. In terms of Langbourne School, the designers had been appointed, and the temporary expansion from September 2013 should be followed by a permanent expansion hopefully in 2014, or 2015. This permanent expansion would be progressed and was likely to happen, as even the expansion of Langbourne itself would not meet the need for school places in the area.
Sam explained that there was an expectation that part of the need for places would be met by free schools. Southwark were under an obligation to provide a sufficient amount of school places in the right localities, and would be working with proposers of free schools, among others, to make sure this was achieved.
Councillors asked to be kept better informed about progress with the expansion programme.