Decision details

To note the demand for places and agree the resources and the Capital Programme

Noted the projected demand for primary, secondary and Post 16 school places in the borough and the proposed arrangements for managing projected trends from 2024/25 and beyond, as detailed in paragraphs 4.29 to 4.62 of the report (see also the Primary School Data Annex as Appendix A of the report).

Noted the projected demand and proposals for meeting the growing demand for specialist places in the borough for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across all phases of education, including Post 16 (see paragraphs 4.63 to 4.93 of the report).

Noted that since the last Place Planning and Capital Programme report in November 2023, the Council has successfully completed a free school presumption process for the establishment of a new all-through special free school in Greenwich, and based on the Council’s recommendation, the Department for Education (DfE) has appointed Compass Partnership of Schools (CPS) as the academy sponsor for the new school.  The secondary and sixth-form phase of the new free school is now being delivered at Hargood Road SE3 (a former primary school site), whilst a site for the primary phase is yet to be identified (see paragraphs 4.79 to 4.82 of the report).

Further to the paragragh above, delegated to the Director of Place and Growth in consultation with the Director of Children’s Services and Director of Legal Services, the authority to:

a)  Negotiate and agree the specific terms for transferring the Hargood Road site under the 125-year academy lease at a peppercorn rent to CPS, in line with all relevant statutory requirements as set out by the DfE (see paragraph 4.79 of the report).

b)  Engage in necessary activities and negotiations required to identify a suitable site for the development of the primary phase of the new all-through special free school (see paragraph 4.82 of the report).

Delegated to the Director of Children’s Services the authority to facilitate the expansion of the Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys’ (WPSB) (part of PolyMAT), subject to the necessary DfE approval, to deliver a designated specialist provision (DSP) for children and young people diagnosed with Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD).

Noted that on 12 March 2025, Cabinet agreed for a part of the De Lucy Primary School site to be repurposed for the delivery of the MLD provision and delegated the authority to negotiate and agree the terms of the required lease to the relevant chief officers.

Delegated to the Director of Children’s Services the authority to facilitate the expansion of Newhaven School’s Kings Park Campus, including undertaking a statutory consultation, to increase the number of specialist secondary places to further support the Council’s delivery of its sufficiency duties for children and young people with SEND.

Noted the development of a pilot scheme to establish new primary designated special provisions for up to four primary schools in the borough, and delegated to the Director of Place and Growth in consultation with the Director of Children’s Services and Director of Legal Services, the authority to negotiate and agree the terms of any property related leases and/or agreements required with the schools (see paragraph 4.85 of the report).

Noted the urgent need for additional capital resources to fully implement the priorities outlined in this report, due to Royal Greenwich receiving a Basic Need (BN) allocation of £nil for 2024/26 and the uncertainty of the DfE’s announcement on High Needs Provision Capital Allocation (HNPCA) for the period beyond 2024/25.

Subject to any necessary consultation with the Schools’ Forum, delegated to the Director of Children’s Services and Director Place and Growth the authority to vary the School Capital Programme, as may be required to address future needs within the agreed level of resources.