Minutes:
Last month saw the official opening of the award winning Monmouth Comprehensive School, an event which perfectly showcased the talents of the school’s pupils, but also the benefits of an outstanding, modern, versatile and digitally enabled school. This followed the official opening of Caldicot School last year.
Today, I want to update Members on developments in the next stage of renewing our school estate, with particular reference to the funding options for Band B of 21st Century Schools.
In December last year, I brought forward a report to establish the small team that would work alongside members and other senior officers to develop Band B.
Our Band B proposal is the redevelopment of King Henry VIII Comprehensive School and Deri View Primary School to provide a new learning campus for children aged three to 19 in Abergavenny. This redevelopment will allow the transfer of Ysgol Gymraeg Y Fenni from its current location to the site of Deri View, enabling it to expand to two-form entry.
The initial decision taken by Cabinet in 2017 concluded that the traditional capital-financing route was the most appropriate – at that stage, there was a 50% funding intervention rate.
The Welsh Government has since changed its intervention rates for both its capital and revenue funding schemes (aka the Mutual Investment Model (MIM)). The Welsh Government intervention rate for traditionally financed schemes changed from 50% to 65%, while the rate for the MIM changed from 75% to 81%, giving us cause to undertake a fresh analysis of the potential advantages of the MIM.
Officers have been working with colleagues from Welsh Government over the past weeks and have determined that the most appropriate approach for Monmouthshire remains the traditional capital-financing route.
It affords the greatest flexibility whilst maintaining a lower overall cost profile for the local authority. Given the challenging budgetary period we face, especially given our position as the lowest funded local authority in the country, this flexibility was too significant a differential for us.
While the MIM would have ensured the new school is well maintained and returned to the authority in good condition at the end of the 25 year agreement, the MIM would have restricted some of the specific design and innovative teaching requirements that we were able to achieve in both Caldicot and Monmouth.
My statement today reaffirms the previously agreed political decision and allows us to proceed with speed, accuracy and clarity into Band B.
Our 21st Century Schools Board visited the site on Monday as the work continues to identify the best location for the new school. I am grateful for the involvement of the headteachers and chairs of governors from the three schools, whose expertise when it comes to the visioning of the new school will be critical to the success of this project.
As we begin to develop the full business case for the new school, I will bring a report to full council in September to make permanent the role of 21st Century Schools Programme Manager and secure funding for the project team and feasibility studies including site investigations and ground surveys.
I would also like to announce today a £1million investment in our school estate as a consequence of a capital grant we received from Welsh Government at the very end of the 2018-19 financial year, for which we are grateful.
This investment includes a new classroom at Gilwern Primary School and upgrades to specialist equipment in our Special Needs Resource Bases.
We have decided to invest half a million pounds in Chepstow Comprehensive School to remodel the front pupil entrance including new windows, decorating the schools where required, replacing the ceiling where required and remodelling the reception area, however this will need planning and therefore will not be completed over the summer.
I hope this statement reaffirms our commitment to ensuring the best possible start in life for every young person in Monmouthshire and delivering a 21st century learning environment for every pupil.