Below is the press release issued regarding a massive funding project of £64 million to provide over 2.500 school places for children in Reading. The media have asked why use taxpayers money to fund extra school places and expand 12 schools as well as build a new Free School? Why not withdraw and let the "free school movement" supply the places? Firstly we are working with parents to build new free schools in North Reading and West Reading. We are only receiving a third of financing of what is needed from the Coalition. If we left it to them then many children in Reading would not have a place. We are committed to a better education for all children in Reading and we are adopting a partnership approach to ensure places are provided in good local schools. This partnership includes; Community Schools, Academies, Free Schools, Faith Schools, Neighbouring authorities and schools in those authorities, parents, governors and the wider local community that the schools serve. Reading Education Authority are part of the partnership with responsibility to provide a school place for every child. We are doing this and we will continue to ensure all children have a school place and we are investing over £45m of taxpayers money to improve in education in Reading for future generations.
A School Expansion Programme for Reading
31/10/2013
Reading Borough Council Press Release
READING Borough Council can today (Oct 31st) announce the next stage in it’s on-going plan to cater for the significant increase in demand for school places.
Proposals for a major expansion programme of 13 primary schools across Reading will create an additional 2,520 school places over the next seven years. This will be made up of 12 classes of 30 children in each of the seven primary age year groups.
The school expansion options have been developed following the ‘Lets Talk Education’ consultations last year and earlier this year, in which the Council engaged schools, parents and local communities about how best to deal with the extra demand for school places.
A detailed report will now go to a meeting of the Council’s Adult Social Care, Children’s Services and Education Committee (ACE) on Thursday November 7th for consideration.
The report - which can be found at http://www.reading.gov.uk/meetings/details/3599 (Item 11) - outlines a £64 million investment in 13 primary schools across Reading. Expansions could be either through traditional or more modern, modular construction techniques, and would be tailored according to the individual needs of a school. This would be achieved in close consultation with headteachers, governing bodies and parents.
Reading Borough Council is committed to providing a excellent learning environment for every child and expansions would need to fit criteria which includes: sufficient space for effective teaching and learning; no classes larger than 30 pupils; teaching spaces which are warm, safe and dry; sufficient access to outdoor space for break times.
The 13 schools to be expanded under the proposals are:
• Alfred Sutton Primary School
• The Ridgeway Primary
• Geoffrey Field Infants
• Geoffrey Field Juniors
• Southcote Primary
• Churchend Primary
• St Michael’s Primary
• New Oxford Road Academy
• EP Collier Primary
• Thameside Primary
• Dee Park & Ranikhet Primary Redevelopment
• Newtown Primary
• St Michael’s Primary
John Ennis, Reading Borough Council’s Lead Member for Education, said:
“This school expansion programme is being put forward by the Council following detailed conversations with schools, parents and local communities as part of the ‘Lets Talk Education’ consultation. Census figures have shown us there has been a 34% increase in children aged 0-4 years old in Reading since 2001. That is the second highest rise in the whole of the South-East and over the coming years the Council has a duty to provide a school place for every one of those children.
“The key to this process however will be making sure the expansion options, and importantly the design of those options, work for individual schools. That means having further conversations with headteachers, governing bodies, parents and local communities. Every school building is different, which means this can’t be a ‘one size fits all’ approach. By talking to schools early in the process about what works for them, I am confident we can get this right. This is not just about catering for the extra demand for places, but about creating an excellent learning environment for our children which will help them achieve their potential.
“Unlike other places, Reading is a tight urban area with limited space or land for new schools. That makes it all the more important that we put in the extra work necessary to make sure the expansions meet the needs of schools, both now and for the future generation of pupils . I’d like to thank all the headteachers and governing bodies for their help in bringing this key project forward.”
The ACE report sets out a range of building options, and their suitability for each site. In some cases, because of the location, the configuration of the existing building or the heritage status, the only option will be to build using traditional techniques. However, in other cases using modern, modular construction will provide a better solution and deliver more flexibility.
Reading Borough Council has already been working closely with school headteachers and governing bodies to develop viability studies. These discussions will now continue with meetings with heads, governors and planned open events for parents and staff, as well as local residents who are not parents as common issues to address as part of the process will include transport and parking.
The total estimated cost of the proposed expansion programme is £64 million. The Council was successful in its bid for £19.1 million through the Government’s Targeted Basic Needs Programme. The proposal is for the remainder of the cost to be financed through section 106 planning agreements, education grants and long-term borrowing.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
A national shortage of primary school places is being mirrored in Reading. Nationally, the shortage is estimated at 256,000 places by 2014. In Reading that translates as an additional 2,520 places in primary schools across the borough.
There are a number of reasons for this extra demand. Latest Census figures show a population explosion of 34% in Reading of children aged 0-4 years old - the second highest rise in the whole of the South-East since 2001. Economic difficulties also mean that young families that would traditionally move out of central Reading into the suburbs and into larger properties, are now remaining where they are. This is placing a significant added burden on school places in certain parts of the town..
There are also a number of factors which could influence the need for school places either up or down. These include: changes in the economy; capacity in neighbouring authorities if more houses are built; if birth rates continues to rise; the number of free schools that are built. It is not possible to model demand past 2020 due to these variables.
Reading Borough Council Press Releases can be found online at http://www.reading.gov.uk/news/pressreleases/
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