Issue - meetings

Programme Summary - Gordon Smith

·        PFI/DoV

·        Design and Affordability

·        ICT contract dialogue with headteachers

The board noted the key issues for consideration which were :

1)ICT Procurement - This was at a critical stage of development.  Dialogue on the contract was due to end and there would follow a further month of contractual resolution. The contract would then be reported to school governors and would finally go to the Council’s Procurement committee in June for agreement. Key information noted by the board was as follows:

Ø      ICT installation – there was a need to ensure, by September, that requirements of the school were understood and there would also need to be consideration of the schools pending building requirements.

Ø      Outstanding issues with schools would need to be dealt with within the next week.

Ø      The contract would be issued for 5 years and contractors were already targeting effort and funds to the service to justify a renewal at the end of the 5 years. The board were assured that the Council would be making clear, to the contractors, that a significant amount of work was required to ensure a future renewal of the ICT contract.

2)There were a number of schools with finalised designs ready for letting to building contractors.

3)PFI/BSF - The board noted that there was currently a period of reflection where the government was examining PFI and BSF. The board noted that this was currently a national issue and the Council was continuing with their plans for BSF. A formal outcome to the governments thinking was expected in the next few weeks.

4)Affordability of designs - design approval expected for Woodside High and good progress was being made with the new school on the Heartlands site. Issues arising were the cost of sprinklers which was not included in the BSF funding envelope. The installation of sprinklers would be an expectation for new built schools.  However also due to recently issued government rules and required tests it was thought that 4 or 5 schools may also need sprinklers installed. The board commented that there had been concern expressed by schools for some time on the issue of sprinklers and clarification was sought as to whether this had been discussed at the health and safety committee structure. In response to this question the board noted that the legislative changes concerning sprinklers had only recently been introduced by the government as part of BV100. The board noted that there had been discussions over a number of years on the framework for sprinklers in school. The government now advised that there should be a risk analysis undertaken by a school and if there is a higher than average risk then there should be a further value for money test and a sprinkler installation.

The board noted the concerns of Woodside High School which was the first school to enter stage D of the design and construction phase. The board were informed that this phase of the works required completion in 8 weeks. The board noted concerns of Woodside School which included the number of key  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26