Hillingdon Council Cabinet Member and Officer Decisions
Secondary Schools Expansion 2025/26 - Funding for Amalgamated Schools from September 2025 – Capital Release No 2
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Democratic Services Location: Phase II DDI: 01895 250692 CMD No: 1544 To: COUNCILLOR SUSAN O’BRIEN CABINET MEMBER FOR CHILDREN, FAMILIES & EDUCATION COUNCILLOR MARTIN GODDARD CABINET MEMBER FOR FINANCE & TRANSFORMATION c.c. All Members of th e Children, Families & Education Select Committee c.c. Julie Kelly, Corporate Director of Children’s Services c.c. Gary Binstead, Education & SEND Date: 13 October 2025 Non-Key Decision request Form D SECONDARY SCHOOLS EXPANSION 2025/26 - FUNDING FOR AMALGAMATED SCHOOLS FROM SEPTEMBER 2025 – CR 2 Dear Cabinet Members, Attached is a report requesting that a decision be made by you as an individual Cabinet Member. Democratic Services confirm that this is not a key decision, as such, the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 notice period does not apply. You should take a decision on or after Tuesday 21 October 2025 in order to meet Constitutional requirements about publication of decisions that are to be made. You may wish to discuss the report with the Corporate Director before it is made. Please indicate your decision on the duplicate memo supplied and return it to me when you have made your decision. I will then arrange for the formal notice of decision to be published. Ryan Dell Democratic Services Title of Report: SECONDARY SCHOOLS EXPANSION 2025/26 - FUNDING FOR AMALGAMATED SCHOOLS FROM SEPTEMBER 2025 – CR 2 Decision made: Reasons for your decision: (e.g. as stated in report) Alternatives considered and rejected: (e.g. as stated in report) Signed ……………………………………………………… Date…………………….. Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education / Cabinet Member for Finance & Transformation Cabinet Member report – 13 October 2025 Page 1 Part I – Public SECONDARY SCHOOLS EXPANSION 2025/26 - FUNDING FOR AMALGAMATED SCHOOLS FROM SEPTEMBER 2025 – CR 2 Cabinet Member & Portfolio Councillor Susan O’Brien – Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education Councillor Martin Goddard – Cabinet Member for Finance & Transformation Responsible Officer Julie Kelly – Corporate Director of Children’s Services Report Author & Directorate Gary Binstead – Education & SEND Papers with report Appendix A – Capital release request HEADLINES Summary That the Cabinet Members: • Review and approve the Capital Funding Guidance for Amalgamated Schools set out in this report , which will allow allocation of up to £50,000 to support schools that have amalgamated from September 2025, ensuring that essential building modifications or other capital expenditure are addressed to facilitate a safe, functional, and welcoming environment • Approve the total funding of £500,000 to be ringfenced within the school capital budget to support the above guidance • Approve a Capital Release of £50k to be paid towards the amalgamated Grange Park School Putting our Residents First Delivering on the Council Strategy 2022-2026 This report supports our ambition for residents/ the Council of: An efficient, well-run, digital-enabled council working with partners to deliver services to improve the lives of all our residents This report supports our commitments to residents of: Thriving, Healthy Households Financial Cost Up to £500,000 Select Committee Children, Families & Education Select Committee. Ward(s) N/A Cabinet Member report – 13 October 2025 Page 2 Part I – Public RECOMMENDATIONS That the Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education: 1. Review and approve the Capital Funding Guidance for Amalgamated Schools set out in this report, which will allow allocation of up to £50,000 to support schools that have amalgamated from September 2025, ensuring that essential building modifications are addressed to facilitate a safe, functional, and welcoming environment. That the Cabinet Member for Finance & Transformation, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education: 2. Approve the total funding of up to £500,000 to be ringfenced and earmarked within the school capital budget to support the above guidance; and 3. Approve the capital release request of £50 ,000 from the Schools Expansions Budget 2025/26 to be paid towards the amalgamated Grange Park School (Appendix A). Reasons for recommendations The Local Authority acknowledges that schools undergoing amalgamation may require specific capital investment to modify their facilities specifically as a result of amalgamation. To support this, a capital grant of up to £50,000 is being proposed to contribute towards essential building works, or other capital expenditure directly associated with the amalgamation process. SUPPORTING INFORMATION The London Borough of Hillingdon continues to implement a strategic programme aimed at merging separate Infant and Junior Schools to create all-through Primary Schools in line with the amalgamation policy agreed by Cabinet in October 2022. This initiative is designed to strengthen educational continuity, streamline operational delivery, and improve pupil outcomes. Recognising the financial challenges currently faced by schools, the Local Authority is committed to providing targeted support. The proposed funding will help to contribute towards costs which are as a direct impact of amalgamating the schools, such as integrated servers, new signage etc, ensuring that educational standards and organisational stability are maintained throughout the transition. There are currently nine pairs of Infant and Junior schools in Hillingdon, with Grange Park Infant & Nursery School and Grange Park Junior school amalgamated from September 2025 to become Grange Park School. Approval for funding from the Schools Capital Budget is being sought for up to ten pairs of schools in total, both maintained and academies, contingent upon schools meeting the established eligibility criteria at the point of amalgamation. The total funding requested amounts to £500,000 for all schools to be amalgamated. Amalgamation is likely to be implemented across a number of years, and the timing of amalgamation dates will be dependent on the circumstances set out in the current amalgamation policy. School Name Type Coteford Infant School Maintained Coteford Junior School Academy Cabinet Member report – 13 October 2025 Page 3 Part I – Public Field End Infant School Maintained Field End Junior School Academy Harefield Infant School Maintained Harefield Junior School Maintained Hillside Infant School Maintained Hillside Junior School Maintained Minet Nursery and Infant School Maintained Minet Junior School Maintained Newnham Infant and Nursery School Maintained Newnham Junior School Maintained Whitehall Infant School Maintained Whitehall Junior School Maintained Whiteheath Infant and Nursery School Maintained Whiteheath Junior School Maintained Yeading Infant and Nursery School Maintained Yeading Junior School Maintained Capital Funding Guidance Purpose: To provide clear guidance on the provision of capital funding to support schools that are amalgamating, ensuring that essential building modifications or other capital expenditure are addressed to facilitate a safe, functional, and welcoming environment. Scope: This guidance applies to all state funded schools within the L ocal Authority that have completed an amalgamation from September 2025. Capital Funding Statement: The Local Authority recognises that amalgamated schools may require targeted capital investment to adapt their facilities or for other capital expenditure related to the amalgamation process. A capital grant of up to £50,000 will be made available to contribute towards essential building works or other capital expenditure directly related to the amalgamation and only at the point when the schools open as a primary school. The funding can only be used for works related to amalgamation. Eligible Capital Works: Funding may be used to contribute to the following types of building modifications: • Signage: Installation or replacement of external and internal signage to reflect the new school identity. • Reception Area Modifications: Alterations to layout, accessibility, and functionality of the main reception area in light of becoming a primary school. • Secure Access Controls: Upgrades or amendments to secure entry systems to ensure pupil and staff safety. • Fire Control Panels : Modifications or integration of fire alarm systems to ensure compliance and safety across merged sites. • Servers/ IT systems: Aligning digital systems through integration to future-proof the new school. Cabinet Member report – 13 October 2025 Page 4 Part I – Public Application Process: • Schools must submit a brief proposal outlining the scope of works, estimated costs, and how the modifications support the amalgamation. • Proposals will be assessed based on need, impact, and value for money. Funding Conditions: • The maximum grant available is £50,000 per amalgamated school. • A new primary school will not be eligible if they have a total carry forward surplus of 8% of the schools budget, or more than £300k unless there are exceptional circumstances. • Schools must demonstrate that the proposed works are not already covered by other funding streams and are directly related to the amalgamation. • All works must comply with relevant health, safety, and building regulations. • Funding will only be eligible for Primary schools that are formed as a result of an amalgamation process. • The Director of Education & SEND will approve all grant applications in principle, prior to submission to the relevant Cabinet Member. • Payment will be made to qualifying schools once amalgamation has formally taken place. Monitoring and Reporting: • Schools must provide a short completion report, including photos and a breakdown of expenditure. • Any unspent funds must be returned to the Local Authority. Implementation Date: Effective for all amalgamations completed from September 2025. Review Date: To be reviewed periodically or in response to changes in capital funding priorities. Grange Park School: Cabinet approved the proposal to amalgamate Grange Park Infant & Nursery School and Grange Park Junior school in April 2025. This process followed the statutory guidance Making significant changes to maintained schools and Opening and closing maintained schools and the school has now opened as Grange Park School for pupils aged 3 to 11. The Grange Park schools are included in the 20 schools (10 pairs) who are subject to the amalgamation policy, and approval is sought to release the £50,000 contribution towards capital expenditure related to the amalgamation of the schools. Grange Park meet the criteria for this funding to be released. Financial Implications Secondary Schools Expansion Budget 2025/26 £6,059k, Previously Released £60k, Capital Release Requested £50k – Appendix A The revised budget for the secondary schools expansion totals £6,059k funded from grants and Council resources. The report seeks the capital release of £50k from the secondary schools expansion budget for the amalgamation of Grange Park Infant and Junior Schools to enable esse ntial building modifications. The schools will carry out the works and the £50k payment will be made to the schools as a one-off grant payment. Cabinet Member report – 13 October 2025 Page 5 Part I – Public Furthermore, the report seeks to earmark up to £500k from the secondary schools expansion budget for further future school amalgamations. The remaining £5,949k of the secondary schools expansion 2025/26 budget will be allocated to schools and is subject to the capital release process. RESIDENT BENEFIT & CONSULTATION Any decision to initiate consideration of a school amalgamation would constitute the preliminary stage of the formal statutory process involving consultations. Subsequent discussions would only proceed once one or more relevant triggers have been reached, in accordance with the Council’s policy and the Department for Education’s statutory guidance for maintained schools , Making significant changes to maintained schools and Opening and closing maintained schools – or, in the case of academies, Making significant changes to an academy and Closure of an academy by mutual agreement following a conversion to academy status of any maintained school (see Convert to an academy: guide for schools - Guidance - GOV.UK). CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS Corporate Finance Corporate Finance have reviewed this report and concur with the financial implications set out above, noting the recommendation for the capital release of £50k for the amalgamation of Grange Park Infant and Grange Park Junior schools as a one- off grant payment to the amalgamated school. Furthermore, it is noted that up to £500k is being sought to be ringfenced for further future amalgamations. Legal Legal Services confirm that there are no legal implications arising from following the recommendations set out in this report. Capital Release Protocol The release of all capital funds, and certain revenue funds, held by the Council is to be made by a formal democratic decision. No expenditure can be placed or committed by officers until this formal approval is given by Democratic Services. Release of funds must be for identified projects only and strictly not for the general release of funds for projects to be identified at a later date. No block releases of capital or funding will be allowed, except if authorised by the Leader of the Council in advance t o Corporate Finance. The release of funds will only be made if previous Council, Cabinet or Cabinet Member agreement has been given to the project and only if there is an approved budget. BACKGROUND PAPERS Department for Education’s statutory guidance for maintained schools: • Making significant changes to maintained schools • Opening and closing maintained schools Department for Education’s guidance in the case of academies: Cabinet Member report – 13 October 2025 Page 6 Part I – Public • Making significant changes to an academy • Closure of an academy by mutual agreement • Convert to an academy: guide for schools - Guidance - GOV.UK APPENDICES • Appendix A – Capital release request Cabinet Member report – 13 October 2025 Page 7 Part I – Public APPENDIX A – CAPITAL RELEASE REQUEST Secondary Schools Budget 2025/26 Capital Funding for Amalgamated Schools – Grange Park School CR 2 Location Project/ Expenditure Title Information Funds Release Sought £000s Approve Hold More Information Required Grange Park School Capital Funding for Amalgamated Schools Contribution towards capital expenditure related to the amalgamation of Grange Park Infant & Nursery School and Grange Park Junior school 50 Total seeking release 50 Previously released 60 Budget 6,059 Remaining budget 5,949