Management Information Sheet: Primary Capital Programme

Norfolk County Council Cabinet will be considering for approval the Primary Strategy for Change on Monday 16 June. This Strategy document is our submission to DCSF for funding to support the Programme over the next 14 years, the outcome of which should be known in September.

The key elements of Norfolk's Primary Strategy for Change, the full version of which will be available on Norfolk Schools website from Monday 9 June, are set out in the executive summary below. All schools that are named in the Strategy for Change document for possible priority projects over the first four years are now being informed directly and we will place a list of the priority groups on the website so that schools will know if they are among the 50% of schools that are likely to have a place on the Programme over its life or if they are among the better suitability/condition schools which are unlikely to benefit directly.

Key points to bear in mind are:

		The groupings are based on the current data held on condition, suitability and school performance and will be revised annually in the light of new surveys and changing school support classifications
		Schools and groups of schools should not assume that projects will result in straightforward like-for-like replacements. We will want to review what provision and organisation is needed in each area to ensure the best outcomes for local children in the future

Norfolk's Primary Strategy for Change: Executive Summary

1		The Strategy is clearly set within the context of Norfolk's Ambitions, the vision for Children's Services, our agreed outcomes for children by the end of primary schooling and what our schools should look like in twenty years.
2		The Strategy sets out where we are now and our ambitions for the future in relation to each of the Every Child Matters outcomes, standards in Norfolk primary schools, diversity and choice (including school place planning and organisational issues), and buildings and ICT.
3		The key issues for Norfolk set out in the Strategy are: We want to use the Programme to help us make a real difference in experience and outcomes for every child. Our two main priorities are to deal with poor accommodation where it exists and to ensure that all projects also focus sharply on creating an environment to promote high standards of achievement. We will take opportunities to join-up PCP funding with other funding streams to develop co-located and integrated extended children's services wherever we can and link with our SEN developments. We need to continue to keep schools in areas of population growth or where there are falling rolls under continuous close review. We will continue to work with schools to explore the potential benefits of partnerships, federations and Trusts and we will co-ordinate the PCP with the secondary BSF programme as it develops to obtain maximum value. We have had four phases of consultation that involved headteachers, governors, pupils, parents, elected members, the dioceses and a range of other partners in developing the strategy. In particular we consulted widely on the way we should prioritise the projects in the programme and how the criteria should be applied. We want PCP to make a major contribution to the transformation of schools that will inspire communities in our most socio-economically challenging areas. Schools and their communities will be closely involved in the planning design of projects to ensure they provide what is needed locally.

4		Priorities for the Programme
		Period 1: 2009-2013 In this first phase we will build on existing plans and programmes so that we can ensure early delivery from April 2009 on a small number of substantial projects in larger schools that link with existing priorities, the SEN strategy and Phase 3 Children's Centres. The projects will be spread across a number of the highest priority groups of schools. Over this period we will plan more projects in detail, and undertake organisational reviews where necessary, so that we can make good progress into the second period.
		Period 2: 2012-2018 In this period the priorities will include infant/junior school amalgamations, the remaining 5% worst condition schools, more complex projects requiring land, projects involving whole or part clusters, greater investment in VA schools, linked PCP and Academy/BSF projects (including all-through schools), schemes for new community-focused schools in LDF growth areas and further work to complete the SEN strategy. We will make clear decisions on the future of very small schools before investing in them and address the increasing challenges of sustainability.
		Period 3: 2018-24 This period will still focus on the remaining buildings issues, joining up LDF growth development, completing the SEN strategy, and supporting a sustainable pattern of school organisation for the foreseeable future.