Learning Estate Programme Update ECSPB
Renfrewshire Council · 16 January 2025
Back to Education and Children's Services Policy Board — 16 January 2025 and its agenda
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To: Education and Children’s Services Policy Board On: 16 January 2025 __________________________________________________________________ Report by: Director of Children’s Services __________________________________________________________________ Heading: Learning Estate Programme Update __________________________________________________________________ 1. Summary 1.1. Renfrewshire Council is delivering a large-scale investment into the learning estate. This programme of works which is underway includes four major projects to enhance and expand the current estate. 1.2. This report provides an update on the delivery of these projects and highlights next steps. The projects covered in this report are as follows: • Paisley Grammar School Community Campus • Park Mains High School extension and alterations • New Dargavel Primary School • Thorn Primary School new build __________________________________________________________________ 2. Recommendations 2.1. The Board is asked to note the contents of this report. 3. Paisley Grammar School Community Campus 3.1. The project to deliver a new Paisley Grammar School continues at pace with construction on track for completion in the summer of 2026. To demonstrate the scale of the project and the progress being made, see attached images in Appendix A of this report.
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3.2. Further updates will be provided on this project at points of major milestone achievement. 3.3. The project team are in the process of designing information boards in collaboration with Morrison Construction. These boards will be placed in a prominent location in the current Paisley Grammar School to showcase to pupils and staff what will be delivered as part of their new community-based school. 4. Park Mains High School Extension & Internal Alterations 4.1. The project to extend and enhance Park Mains High School is progressing with the procurement process to appoint a main contractor under way. Tenders have been received and this will now progress through the relevant process where a recommended contractor will be proposed to the Finance, Resources and Customer Services (FRCS) Policy Board in February 2025. 4.2. Design work continues to develop with the project team now having a proposed concept design. These designs have been informed through significant engagement with the school community including the parent council of Park Mains, parent councils of all associated primary schools, pupils, and staff. This engagement began in late 2023 with design partners from Space Zero who led in-depth engagement with the school community to inform the provisional designs. 4.3. These concept designs have allowed the Council to progress to the point of conducting the statutory Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) process. This process was completed in December 2024 where the project team hosted two information evenings at Park Mains High School on an open invite basis. These events were supported by circa 15 large-scale printed boards that showed the community all aspects of the proposed design of the extended Park Mains High School. These boards were also emailed to all parents and carers at Park Mains and its associated primary schools after the events. The purpose of this process is to allow the community to comment on the proposal to allow any reasonable and beneficial amendments to be made via the feedback received, and for officers to discuss and document any concerns raised. 4.4. A full summary of the process has been compiled and will be submitted to the Planning Authority for consideration when progressing to the full planning application process in 2025. 4.5. The next major steps of this project are to appoint a main contractor who will then take on the final design stage and progress towards a 2026 construction start, and completion in 2027. 5. New Dargavel Primary School 5.1. As part of the previous update to this Board on 31st October 2024, it was noted that the project to deliver a new primary school in Dargavel had recently completed the PAN process. This has allowed the project to progress where the full planning application has now been submitted to construct the new 800 capacity primary school with community facilities. As this is a major planning application, the decision will be made at the Council’s Planning and Climate Change Policy Board in 2025.
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5.2. The project team continue to develop all detail supporting the delivery of the project including design and programming. On this basis, the approach has been agreed for the construction methodology and procurement strategy for delivery. In collaboration with the Council’s delivery partner (Hub West Scotland), main contractor (BAM Construction), and lead consultants, it has been agreed that the most efficient route to constructing the school is to split the project into defined stages. This will encompass the following: • Enabling works to begin early ground works for aspects such as drainage, will take place from early 2025. This will see the first activity on site. • Main works to begin in autumn 2025. This will see the construction of the building and all supporting components begin. 5.3. From a contractual perspective, the project will be further broken down into multiple subcomponents, as is normal in complex construction projects. These matters will be dealt with through the appropriate governance route which is the FRCS Policy Board. Members of the Education and Children’s Services Policy Board will be kept fully up to date on progress of contractual appointments, and should expect the first batch of contract recommendations to be submitted to the February 2025 FRCS Policy Board which will include: • Consultant appointments and payments • Enabling works package for ground works 5.4. Beyond this, further reports will be submitted to the FRCS Policy Board later in 2025 to make recommendations to award contracts for the main works construction. The main works contract that will deliver all aspects of the school will likely be broken down into two contract awards, the first being an advanced works package, and the second being the remainder of the main works. this will follow a similar route to previous projects including Paisley Grammar, which provides an efficient procurement approach but importantly the ability to maintain sustained momentum in delivering the project which is particularly important for this project. 5.5. As noted, the FRCS Policy Board will be presented with these contract recommendations throughout 2025. All of this is accounted for in the agreed programme with Hub West Scotland. 6. Thorn Primary School New Build 6.1. The project to deliver a new Thorn Primary School has been progressing with early design work and has considered possible site layout as well as indicative space requirements, based on engagement with school staff and key stakeholders. This work is now being progressed in line with the principles of the wider Learning Estate Strategy, approved by members of the board in August, and considering the full-estate roll-projection data, which members saw in October, to ensure we maximise the benefit the Thorn project brings to the Johnstone community. A further update will be brought to the board in March 2025 as part of the next stage of the Learning Estate Strategy. ___________________________________________________________________
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Implications of this report 1. Financial All projects are costed and included in Council financial planning. Projects are bound by rigorous governance including budget management and reporting. 2. HR and Organisational Development None. 3. Community/Council Planning Our Renfrewshire is thriving - New, and improved, learning estate assets will allow our children and young people to thrive with the best possible infrastructure to support their school experience. Staff, and community users will benefit from modern and inclusive environments. Reshaping our place, our economy and our future - The learning estate shall be appropriately scaled and equipped to meet curriculum expectations and deliver an appropriate learning and teaching experience for all. 4. Legal None. 5. Property/Assets These projects will deliver significant improvements to the learning estate, extending the life of assets, and improving the experience of young people, staff, and the wider community. 6. Information Technology Digital improvements will be delivered through the learning estate strategy, where access to technology for all, will be a key priority for projects. 7. Equality and Human Rights The Recommendations contained within this report have been assessed in relation to their impact on equalities and human rights. No negative impacts on equality groups or potential for infringement of individuals’ human rights have been identified arising from the recommendations contained in the report. If required following implementation, the actual impact of the recommendations and the mitigating actions will be reviewed and monitored, and the results of the assessment will be published on the Council’s website. 8. Health and Safety None.
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9. Procurement Any procurement work required will be conducted in collaboration with the Council’s Procurement team and adhere to appropriate regulations. 10. Risk All projects are bound by rigorous governance and supported by detailed risk registers. Risk is reported and managed at various levels with scrutiny applied to ensure mitigations and contingency plans are in place. 11. Privacy Impact None. 12. Climate Risk New, and improved, learning estate assets will directly contribute to the Council’s journey towards net zero. Sustainability is a key concept of all projects. 13. Children’s Rights When considering any future school provision, the impact this will have on children is a key consideration, and any work will be based around the direct needs of children to allow their education experience to thrive. Whilst children have a right to choose where they wish to attend school in collaboration with their parents, the council’s admissions policy applies to ensure that schools that are oversubscribed can be managed. 14. Cosla Policy Position None. Children’s Services JL/JO/GMcL Dec 2024 Author: Jack Lochans - jack.lochans@renfrewshire.gov.uk
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Appendix A – Images of Paisley Grammar School Community Campus
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