Decision details

 

 

City-Wide / Strategic

 

2.1      to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to adopt an approach which favoured the improvement and repurposing of existing assets, over the construction of new school buildings, where this was appropriate, and to ensure that where new school buildings were required, these were designed from the outset, to comply with the low carbon criteria set out within the Learning Estate Investment Programme, and where appropriate, with the Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard.  (Recommendation A1)

 

2.2      to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to ensure that all new primary schools were designed with a minimum pupil capacity of 434, and all new secondary schools were designed with a minimum pupil capacity of 1000, in order to support high quality learning and teaching. (Recommendation A2)

 

2.3      to note that potential changes in pupil population across the city were likely to require a reduction in the number of operational schools over the next 10 years, and that within this and future editions of the School Estate Plan, officers would bring forward specific options and recommendations for making changes to the school estate to ensure optimum efficiency and sustainability of the estate as a whole. (Recommendation A3)

 

2.4      to note that where appropriate, officers would seek opportunities to make use of available capacity within schools for other purposes, including the delivery of additional services, in order to make efficient use of available space within the estate which also benefitted local communities. (Recommendation A4)

 

2.5      to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to carry out a review of signage in all schools and upgrade / replace signage where required to improve accessibility for all users and to refer this to the budget process. (Recommendation A5)

 

2.6      to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to present a delivery plan for implementing the agreed actions in this report to the next meeting of the Education and Children’s Services Committee, and thereafter, to present an annual update to the School Estate Plan to the Education and Children’s Services Committee, commencing from September 2023, to report on progress with the agreed actions and to update these as appropriate, in light of the most recently available data. (Recommendation A6)

 

Denominational Primary Schools

2.7      to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to make arrangements to carry out a feasibility study and stakeholder engagement to identify options for ensuring appropriate and sustainable long term denominational primary school provision for the city to meet forecast demand, and report back to the Education and Children’s Services Committee with recommendations. (Recommendation RC1)

 

 

Secondary Schools in the North of Aberdeen

2.8      to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to make arrangements to carry out a feasibility study and stakeholder engagement to identify options for reducing the predicted long term excess secondary school capacity in Grandhome, Oldmachar and Bridge of Don, and report back with an outline business case for consideration by the Education and Children’s Services Committee. (Recommendation NA1)

 

2.9      to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to make arrangements to carry out a feasibility study and stakeholder engagement to identify options for ensuring appropriate long term secondary school provision for Bucksburn and Dyce, and report back with an outline business case for consideration by the Education and Children’s Services Committee. (Recommendation NA2)

 

Schools in Central Aberdeen

2.10    to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to make arrangements to carry out a feasibility study and options appraisal to improve the suitability, accessibility and capacity levels of Victorian schools within Aberdeen City, and to report back to the Education and Children’s Services Committee with recommendations and estimated costs. (Recommendation CA1)

 

Bucksburn Associated Schools Group

2.11    to note that officers had completed a feasibility study on the proposed permanent extension to Bucksburn Academy, and instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to report back to the Finance and Resources Committee with an outline business case for consideration. (Recommendation B1)

 

2.12    to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to engage with developers to track progress with the Bucksburn / Newhills developments, in order to determine options and appropriate timing for new primary school provision to serve the new housing developments, and to report back to the Education and Children’s Services Committee with an outline business case. (Recommendation B2)

 

 

Oldmachar Associated Schools Group

2.13    to note that officers were currently engaging with developers to track progress with the Grandhome development, to determine any requirements for new primary school provision and to relieve forecast pressure on pupil numbers at Forehill School. (Recommendation O1)

 

2.14    to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to carry out a statutory consultation on proposals to re-align primary school zone boundaries within the Oldmachar ASG, to relieve future pressure on pupil numbers at Greenbrae School, and to report back to the Education and Children’s Services Committee with the outcomes of the consultation and recommendations as appropriate. (Recommendation O2)

 

2.15    to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to make arrangements to carry out a feasibility study and stakeholder engagement to identify options for reducing the number of primary schools in the Oldmachar ASG, in order to minimise potential excess pupil capacity, and to report back to the Education and Children’s Services Committee as appropriate. (Recommendation O3)

 

Bridge of Don Associated Schools Group

2.16    to note that officers would continue to monitor forecast rolls at Braehead School and Scotstown School, and that any required actions would be reported in future updates to the School Estate Plan. (Recommendation BD1)

 

St Machar Associated Schools Group

2.17    to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to carry out an options appraisal on potential uses of the additional capacity to be provided by the new school at Tillydrone, and to report back to the Education and Children’s Services Committee with recommendations as appropriate.  (Recommendation S1)

 

2.18    to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to consider the options for relocating other services accommodated within the Sunnybank School building, and to report back to the Education and Children’s Services Committee with recommendations. (Recommendation S2)

 

2.19    to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to make arrangements to carry out a feasibility study to consider the options for the removal of unused modular classroom buildings at St Machar Academy, and for carrying out general improvements to the outdoor space at the school, and to present a costed outline business case to the Finance and Resources Committee for consideration. (Recommendation S3)

 

Northfield Associated Schools Group

2.20    to note that officers would continue to monitor pupil numbers at Westpark School and Heathryburn School, considering the likely long term impact of the planned new Greenferns development, and that recommendations as required would be included in future updates to the School Estate Plan. (Recommendation N1)

 

2.21    to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to make arrangements to carry out a feasibility study and stakeholder engagement to identify options for reducing the number of primary schools in the Northfield ASG, in order to minimise excess pupil capacity, and to report back to the Education and Children’s Services Committee with recommendations as appropriate. (Recommendation N2)

 

Hazlehead Associated Schools Group

2.22    to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to assess the feasibility of creating new secondary school provision to serve the communities of Hazlehead and Countesswells, to put this forward to the Scottish Government as a priority project for funding in Phase 3 of the Learning Estate Investment Programme, and to report back to the Education and Children’s Services Committee with an update on the outcomes of the funding bid and recommendations on next steps. (Recommendation HH1)

 

2.23    to note that officers would continue to monitor the situation with the housing development at Countesswells and would bring forward recommendations as appropriate regarding requirements for additional primary school capacity to serve the development, in future annual updates to the School Estate Plan. (Recommendation HH2)

 

2.24    to note that officers would continue to monitor pupil numbers at Hazlehead School and would include any required recommendations for action in future updates to the School Estate Plan. (Recommendation HH3)

 

2.25    to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to carry out a further statutory consultation on the creation of a school catchment zone for Gaelic Medium Education provision at Hazlehead Academy. (Recommendation HH4)

 

Aberdeen Grammar Associated Schools Group

2.26    to note that officers would continue to monitor pupil numbers at Aberdeen Grammar School and would include any required recommendations for action in future updates to the School Estate Plan. (Recommendation AG1)

 

2.27    to note that officers would continue to monitor pupil numbers at Mile End School, and include any required recommendations in future annual updates to the School Estate Plan. (Recommendation AG2)

 

2.28    to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to carry out a further statutory consultation on the creation of a school catchment zone for Gaelic Medium Education provision at Gilcomstoun School. (Recommendation AG3)

Harlaw Associated Schools Group

2.29    to note that officers were progressing plans to commission a review of sports facilities at Harlaw Road and Rubislaw, to allow Harlaw Academy to use the facilities for its off-site PE provision, and that the outcomes of this review with any relevant recommendations would be reported in future updates to the School Estate Plan. (Recommendation H1)

 

2.30    to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to make arrangements to carry out a feasibility study to identify potential future options for improving the condition and suitability of the Harlaw Academy building, and to report back to the Education and Children’s Services Committee with recommendations and costs. (Recommendation H2)

 

2.31    to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to make arrangements to carry out a feasibility study to identify potential options for improving the dining capacity, layout and ELC facilities at Ferryhill School, and to report back to the Education and Children’s Services Committee with recommendations and costs. (Recommendation H3)

 

 

Cults Associated Schools Group

2.32    to note that officers would continue to monitor pupil numbers at Cults Academy, and include any required recommendations in future annual updates to the School Estate Plan. (Recommendation C1)

 

2.33    to note that officers would monitor pupil numbers and use of space at Culter School, and consider options for alternative use of any available space, with any recommendations to be included in future updates to the School Estate Plan as appropriate. (Recommendation C2)

 

Lochside Associated Schools Group

2.34    to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to make arrangements to carry out a feasibility study and stakeholder engagement to identify options for creating the required additional school capacity to serve the planned Loirston Loch development, and report back to the Education and Children’s Services Committee with recommendations as appropriate. (Recommendation L1)

 

2.35    to instruct the Chief Officer – Corporate Landlord to carry out a statutory consultation on proposals to relocate Walker Road School to the new primary school building in Torry, following its completion, and to report back to the Education and Children’s Services Committee with the outcomes of the consultation and recommendations as appropriate. (Recommendation L2)

 

2.36    to note that the Tullos Playing Fields Pavilion building would be declared surplus to requirement within the school estate, to allow options for its future use or disposal to be considered, under standard vacant property procedures. (Recommendation L3);

 

2.37    to instruct the Chief Officer – Capital to put forward to the Scottish Government details of the planned refurbishment of the existing Riverbank School building ahead of  the relocation of St Peter’s School, for this to be considered as a priority project for funding in Phase 3 of the Learning Estate Investment Programme, and to report back to the Education and Children’s Services Committee with an update on the outcomes of the funding bid and recommendations on next steps; and

 

2.38    to note that officers would confirm the timescales in relation to when the work at Riverbank School would be complete and would circulate this to Members outwith the meeting.