Issue - meetings

This report provides an overview of the impact of the newly created specialist school places provided at Longspee Ensbury Park Campus part of Ambitions Academy Trust. Working with Ambitions Academy Trust, the Council redeveloped the former Bournemouth Learning Centre to provide a satellite of Longspee Special School. The new campus opened for a full complement of 54 children in September 2021 and provides places for secondary school aged children 11-16 with a diagnosis of social emotional mental health (SEMH)/autistic spectrum condition (ASC) and complex needs. The scheme to redevelop the accommodation at BLC was funded by the Council and following the development of a challenging and complex project, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee would like the opportunity to review key aspects of the scheme to promote learning, including:

·     the impact of the newly created campus on the opportunities for teaching and learning for children and young people;

·     lessons learned and mitigations for future schemes.

The Head of Service, School Place Planning and Capital, presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'C' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The report provided an overview of the impact of the newly created specialist school places provided at Longspee Ensbury Park Campus, part of Ambitions Academy Trust. Working with Ambitions Academy Trust, the Council redeveloped the former Bournemouth Learning Centre to provide a satellite of Longspee Special School. The new campus opened for a full complement of 54 children in September 2021 and provided places for secondary school aged children 11-16 with a diagnosis of social emotional mental health (SEMH)/autistic spectrum condition (ASC) and complex needs. The scheme to redevelop the accommodation at BLC was funded by the Council and following the development of a challenging and complex project, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee requested the opportunity to review key aspects of the scheme to promote learning, including:

·     the impact of the newly created campus on the opportunities for teaching and learning for children and young people;

·     lessons learned and mitigations for future schemes.

The Committee discussed the report and comments were made, including:

• A Committee Member expressed gratitude at seeing evidence from lessons learnt in relation to the finance of this project being demonstrated in other projects considered by other Committees and advised that it was clear to see the value that this project had added to the lives of the pupils who attended the provision
• In response to a query from a MYP regarding feedback from the pupils, the Director of Education shared a positive story of a pupil who was greatly benefitting from the provision
• The Committee Members who had visited the campus all expressed how impressed they were with the specialist provision
• The Portfolio Holder with responsibility for Council Priorities and Delivery was grateful that the work on strengthening governance and financial management of these programmes going forward was apparent.

RESOLVED that the Committee note the:

a)  the impact of the newly created campus on the outcomes of children and young people;

b)  lessons learned and mitigations for future schemes.