Purpose

At Cabinet on the 6 September 2022 Cabinet authorised the then Executive Director, People in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Equalities to accept, allocate and spend grant funding from the Department for Education and award the contract(s) (including any individual contracts over £500k) necessary for the implementation of the Education Capital Programme in accordance with Appendix A1 and Appendix I1 and within the maximum budget envelopes outlined in the report.

One of the projects in the Education Capital Programme is the redevelopment of Claremont School which will contribute to increasing SEND capacity in Bristol and reducing reliance on out-of-area placements. Whilst the redevelopment work takes place it is necessary to decant the pupils to maintain continuity of education provision. A decant site has been identified at Kingsweston School where a new, 2-storey modular building will be temporarily installed on-site, and will provide additional classroom accommodation, meeting & group spaces, with supplementary storage and hygiene facilities to accommodate displaced pupils from Claremont School in Henleaze.

Decision

To approve the award of a contract to Portakabin, for the delivery of a 2-storey modular building on-site at Kingsweston School.

Alternative options considered

Option 1 - Do Nothing
This option was considered and rejected. Under a do-nothing approach, the established decant location would be strained as a result of additional pupil intake, and risk disruption to the educational continuity of learning on site. The school would be constrained by limited provisions & space, making them less able to support decanted pupils and their educational needs. This option would also undermine the wider Claremont redevelopment programme and the delivery of additional SEND places across Bristol. Abortive development costs of approximately £1.4 million would also remain unrecovered.
Option 2 - Proceed with the installation of the Modular Temporary Classroom building into the Eastern corner of the on-site carpark, through the appointment of a contractor following a compliant procurement process. This option provides the best balance of deliverability, value for money & educational outcomes, whilst also supporting the wider approved Claremont redevelopment programme