Norwich Schools Asset Management Plan (AMP) Update Project - Autumn 2007 - Data and Plans for your School Buildings and Premises

Children's Services Planning and Buildings have the responsibility together with the input from Headteachers/Governors to update and maintain Schools' AMP data for suitability and sufficiency. We now have appropriate systems in place to monitor and maintain this data and we are confident that the data we hold for the majority of schools is now up to date. However, throughout this project we have been aware of Norwich Re-organisation and have delayed visiting or updating data for Norwich schools' bearing in mind the use of these premises is likely to change after re-organisation takes place in September 2007.

However, driven by the need for accurate data to complete the 2009/10 Admission number exercise in early 2008 we need to complete the task of updating all Norwich schools' data by the end of this current year. This is quite a considerable task with a tight deadline so we are asking for your co-operation. We are planning a timetable of visits for which you will be contacted by a member of the Planning and Buildings Team in the first week of the Autumn term in order for a date to be agreed.

The visit will involve one or two people from the County Council to carry out the necessary survey of the school to check and confirm the accommodation. Schools will be invited to nominate a member of staff (headteacher or other person who has a detailed understanding of the issues relating to the school buildings and premises) to either accompany the representative(s) whilst they visit or meet the representative(s) initially so that a discussion relating to the visit can take place and then be available at the end of the visit for any points of detail to be clarified and to raise any 'key issues' with the schools' accommodation.

Once the AMP data for your school has been fully checked by the County Council and the electronic version held centrally updated - available to you via Norfolk Schools (previously Esinet) a printed report will be sent to you. At this point headteachers should ensure:-

a) that you are content with the accuracy of the data and that any 'key issues' are clearly documented
and
b) that the Chair of Governors and / or the governors Premises Committee are also content with the data / documentation

NB. Although we are anticipating visiting the majority of Norwich schools there maybe some instances where data can be updated by a desktop exercise. However, Headteachers will still be sent a paper pack for checking as described above.

If you have any questions in response to this MI sheet or the proposed visit please contact a member of the Planning and Buildings Team:
Jane Blackwell telephone no.01603 222287
Chris Harrison/Steve Hicks telephone no. 01603 222253