News on planning application for Sevenoaks grammar annex etc

[mystery]

Ah, that sounds like a positive press release chimera-ma. It needs a paragraph on how the annex is going to be filled and by when, your request for a building timetable fulfilled and it's then just perfect.

[chimera-ma]

And I don't mind 'cut and paste'.

[chimera-ma]

A spot of web browsing today:

27/08/14 email to the DfE from Axiom Group Ltd asking for contractor/competitor bid information and advising:

We have been asked by one Main Contractor Bidding to submit a Tender for the floor finishes for the [Sevenoaks Grammar School and Trinity School] project.

The email refers Axiom to KCC for any further information.

28/08/14 response from the DfE, treating Axiom's query as a FOI request, declares that they do not hold this information, adding:

The building works for these two new school facilities are being procured by Kent County Council through the SCAPE framework.

[Source: what do they know.com]

As I've posted before, the SCAPE framework gives pre-approved contractor status to Willmott Dixon whose tattered notices are at the entrance to one of the Wildernesse site carparks.

This FOI posting suggests that KCC are in the driving seat for a single project to build both schools, presumably part-funded by the DfE in respect of the Trinity build.

And if floor finish tenders are being sought before the old school buildings have even been demolished, I would think that much of the subcontracting is already in place, certainly for the earlier stages of the build.

[doodles]

Oh I wouldn't put it past KCC to get the floor polishers in before the brickies

[chimera-ma]

A highly polished floor open to the elements - great for ice-skating. Maybe a revenue stream to support the build?

[chimera-ma]

News:

The final draft of KCC's revised Commissioning Plan for Education 2015-2019 is now online with other documents for the Education cabinet meeting on 24 September.

The plan is for an additional 6FE of selective provision in Sevenoaks 'By 2016-2017'.

[See Figure 13.2 on pg 70 - sorry I can't reproduce a link.]

I couldn't find any reference to the annexe building timetable but at least we know KCC isn't deferring the target opening date.

The Plan also includes a further 1FE of selective provision in Tonbridge & Malling for 2016-2017.

[mystery]

Thanks for that, Chimera-ma.

Much earlier communications about the grammar annex had much earlier start dates. When did September 2016 become the target start date?

So this suggests the annex will be empty for a year as Trinity School needs to move in by September 2015 and the plan was to have them both ready by then when they did that planning exhibition at Dunton Green. They were not expecting Trinity to occupy a new school next door to a building site.

The same paragraphs are repeated in the relevant district sections about various options having been considered and the best one, meeting parents' aspirations too, being for existing grammar schools to expand and manage satellite provision in Sevenoaks. What other options were considered? I don't remember that.

The phrase "if approved" crops up a few times too.

When does this go to Education Cabinet? 24th September is some other less senior committee.

The "if" starts to look bigger each time I read it.

I wonder how this really is going to sort itself out.

Why does it say at 13.7.5 that the planned total capacity for Trinity is 600? It takes four forms which is 120 per year. 600 would only be five years of children. Don't they count the 6th form or is it not going to have one?

[chimera-ma]

Oh no, don't tell me there is another layer of bureaucracy above the cabinet committee who are meeting on the 24th!

On a couple of your other points, Mystery:

I recall the 2013-2018 Commissioning Plan including provision for an extra 6FE in Sevenoaks by 2016-2017, but not specifying these as selective places.

The draft 2015-2019 Plan has a separate section on post-16 education and training. ( I haven't read it yet.) That would explain the total number of pupil places at Trinity being represented as 600, ie, places for Years 7 to 11.

I don' t think the Plan casts any further doubt on a 2016 opening of a grammar annexe. It makes a stronger case for it than earlier Plans, taking account of revised demographic projections for Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge and capacity at Trinity.

The doubts that remain, and they are considerable, are the ability of KCC to secure sponsor schools for the annexe in good time for a 2016 opening and whether the DfE will approve a revised annexe proposal.

I agree that Trinity and the annexe are likely to be built concurrently, but wonder more now whether Trinity will be built in time for a move next Summer.

[mystery]

The agenda indicates that it has to go from this Education Cabinet to the Cabinet - don't know the date - must be on that calendar on the website though. I would think that is purely a formality though - the Cabinet is not going to have anything to say about the data and the "grammar decision" is already made. Such as it was. Who thought that at that vote in April a couple of years back that the Council was actually going to construct and pay for the building of a grammar annex in Sevenoaks? The decision didn't read that way but maybe I misunderstood. I just thought it meant that the Council had agreed to try and help make it happen if they could.

Let's hope the people of Sevenoaks don't petition for anything else. Who knows what we'll end up paying for!


C - Other items for comment/recommendation to the L
eader/Cabinet
Member/Cabinet or officers

C2
Commissioning Plan for Education Provision 2015-2019
(Pages 41 - 198)
To receive a report from the Cabinet Member for Educa
tion and Health Reform
and the Corporate Director of Education and Young Peo
ple’s Services that
provides the Cabinet Committee with the opportunity t
o comment on the
Commissioning Plan for Education Provision 2015-19 prio
r to final approval by
Cabinet.

[chimera-ma]

The advice at a recent Trinity School Open Morning was that the old Wildernesse buildings will be demolished all at the same time to make way for both new schools. Demolition will start this month or November. Nothing was said about the construction of the grammar annexe; the Trinity build and kitting out classrooms will take about 18 months.