TBAP FINANCE, PREMISES AND HR SUB-COMMITTEE
FACILITIES UPDATE
Bridge AP Academy
The Bridge redevelopment scheme continues to progress at a pace with a design time being appointed on a short term contract prior to final approval by Hammersmith and Fulham councillors in March. LSI the design team have met with the TBAP executive and staff to understand the limitations of the current site and explore new ideas.
Temporary and permanent accommodationplans for the new TBAP 16-19 Academic AP Academy are also progressing well with the EFA and the council. Heads of Terms and a development agreement should be in place by the end of March. We recently meet with the EFA PSBP2 team and are currently putting together the business case for agreeing the funding sum for the improvements to the Bridge site in relation to large scale problems of windows, roof and heating improvements. Once funding sum and scope of works is agreed it will form part of the overall TBAP campus scheme, which is currently scheduled to start in November 2016.
Courtyard AP Academy
As part of the negotiation with the council and the new academy sponsor of Langford Primary school we have been able to extend the playground space at the front of the Courtyard. The fence is a slatted wooden fence meeting the requirements of the Head of School and Directors.
A part time cleaner has also been employed by TBAP to clean the Courtyard on a daily basis this is as part of the reduction of the SLA between Langford and TBAP for services to cover the courtyard. The new arrangement is working well.
Beachcroft AP Academy
New primary provision opened on the Beachcroft site in January after an extensive remodelling of the ground floor staff area and three of the ground floor teaching spaces. The new primary provision comprises of three classrooms, a separate entrance from the secondary, a reception and an extensive playground space. The staff are able to access a shared staff room and a meeting room. Currently there are six learners attending who mostly transferred from the Courtyard. Capacity of the primary provision is 12 which will be reached by the end of Term 6.
A new dooraccess control system has been installed across the first floor of the secondary provision in response to need and concerns highlighted in a Director safeguarding report. There are still 5 additional doors which need to be completed however these require the doors to be changed and the frames re-enforced before the access control system is installed. We are currently discussing this work as part of a further programme of work to increase the external outdoor learning space available to the secondary learning spaces.
In partnership with the council we have been able to negotiate the transfer of the corner plot of land from George Elliot Primary school to TBAP. Westminster is kindly providing the funds for the land to be transformed into a dedicated secondary outdoorlearning space. Plans are currently being developed on the works to transform the land and the access route for learners to be completed during May half term.
The TBAP Foundation has sourced funding to replace the inadequate food technology classroom at Beachcroft. TBAP is working with 3BM to relocate the food technology in a classroom space on the first floor. This works is being planned for August.
Octagon AP Academy
Unfortunately one of the three boilers on the site failed in Term 2 and had to be replaced. This was due to an historical maintenance problem which has been addressed under the new contract with Estuary. Some minor repairs and decorations have taken place on the site over the February half term.
Latimer AP Academy
Together with Kensington and Chelsea council we have developed a specification for a new shared site with the youth offending team to be built in the local authority area. Although the outline scheme has yet to be tabled at senior officer or councillor levels it has significant backing as it is in response to the councils intention to relocate the Latimer Provision before the end of the seven year lease which has six years left run before renewal.
The Latimer site has been scoped for remodelling and improvements so it can play a significant part in the temporary decant of Bridge to allow site improvements to be carried out over a 12 month period. The remodelling includes taking responsibility for the ground floor of the Latimer building once the nursery moves to its new premises in August, and the addition of a production kitchen. The schemehas been costed and goes to the TBAP Campus Board for discussion in March.
In partnership with Kensington and Chelsea council we have agreed a scheme of works to remodel the entrance of the Walmer Road site so that the Portobello provision based in a local primary school can move in the summer term. Discussions to finalise the agreement with RPT who are responsible for the building are in place to complete by May.
Cambridge AP Academy
The Cambridge AP Academy site has caused considerable concerns over recent months as the complexities of managing the logistics of the site and a number of safeguarding issues. Safeguarding issues relate to the lack of fencing around the car parking area, the door access control system, the ease with which learners can access the flat roofs on some buildings and the safety of the windows. In response, a planning application has been submitted to erect a fence separating the car park from the rest of the site, increased door security has been installed and is going to be further improved with a new student entrance, and improvements have been made to the Windows to improve safety. Finally, a major tidy of the site took place over the half term freeing up further rooms to be used as learning spaces and to put in place a functioning staff work room.
We are exploring options of how to further develop the site to improve the flow and management of the site as well as increase the number of communal spaces.
TBAP Residence
Extensive building improvements are nearing completion to enable the site to operate as a seven bed residential boarding provision with staff and family quarters. This has been an exciting project and although at times we have had to find solutions to a number of technical hurdles the project has gone well and will complete on time and on budget at the end of this month. A seven year lease will be in place for TBAP to use the site for residential boarding provision.
Fenland Learning Base, Wisbech
If the academy programme goes as planned the Fenland Learning Base building will transfer to TBAP on the 1st May 2016. The building is a new purpose built PRU constructed under the Building Schools for the Future programme and has been well maintained. At this stage we do not foresee any issues on the building transferring to TBAP on a 125 year lease.
TrinitySpecial School
The Trinity Special School currently consists of three sites in Foxton, Hartford and Wisbech. As part of the transfer to TBAP the Foxton and Hartford sites are being combined onto a new purpose built site in St Neots. Building work starts on this scheme at the end of February and will complete in October 2016. The scheme is being funded by the council and although has been in planning for over two years, TBAP have recently been extensively consulted on the scheme and now sit on the programme board. TBAP have expressed concerns over the quality of the current Wisbech site and are working with the council to agree a new purpose built site to be realised in an agreed timescale.