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Statement of

Readiness to Deliver

Building Schools for the Future

Cumbria County Council’s Statement of Readiness to Deliver for Building Schools for the Future

The sections in this submission are numbered from 3.1 – 3.7 in accordance with ‘Readiness to Deliver Guidance for Local Authorities in BSF Waves 7 and beyond’ published by Partnership for Schools (PfS) in February 2009.

Section 3.3.1 (Council commitment) is included in this document and signed by the Leader and Acting Chief Executive of the county council.

Supplementary Programme Information as required in Section 4 of the guidance is provided in a separate document.

There are no sections 1 or 2.

Cabinet CopyIntroduction

“Cumbria comprises a complex array of communities set in and alongside a unique, varied, stimulating and testing landscape. This can at times be both an advantage and a barrier. These complexities present a wide variety of opportunities and challenges, the real essence of which can be masked by simple statistics.”

Cumbria Community Strategy 2008 to 2028

Cumbria is a county of contrasts, both physically and socially, which presents the county council and our partners with some unique challenges in delivering excellent services to our communities. One of the biggest challenges we face is the number of young people leaving the county to find opportunities, the increasingly ageing profile of our population and the risk this poses to some of our communities in ensuring their long term sustainability. Secondary pupil numbers will continue to fall over the next ten years and our aim is to ensure that there are excellent schools meeting the needs of their communities and providing parents with more choice.

It is England’s second largest county and is also ranked second in relation to sparsity of population. More than 50% of Cumbria’s population of 498,000 live in rural communities with only Carlisle and Barrow having populations exceeding 28,000 people. Over 70% of our settlements have a population of less than 200 people. Cumbria has areas of affluence but there are also significant levels of deprivation, notably in Carlisle, West Cumbria and Barrow. Twelve wards in these urban centres fall within the 10% most deprived nationally.

West Cumbria has some of the most deprived areas in England. There are also smaller pockets of significant deprivation and low incomes in some rural communities. Taken together, this presents real challenges in relation to service access and equity in service distribution.

A further challenge which has arisen recently is that of supporting the worst affected communities through the recovery process following the serious floods of November 2009. The floods affected communities across the county, in particular West Cumbria, Eden and South Lakes, isolating communities and destroying infrastructure that is critical to both the economy and community well-being. As we continue the recovery process, there is a real opportunity to build a better Cumbria, and Building Schools for the Future (BSF) is a critical component of our plans for West Cumbria.

Within this wider context, BSF investment will enable us to ensure that our future pattern of school provision in Cumbria recognises these unique challenges, contributing to the long term sustainability of our many diverse communities and tackling the inequalities between lives in different parts of our county. It will also ensure this provision supports locality-based services that are aligned to local needs and enable the active engagement of all children and young people as we strive to create a school system fit for the 21st century.

Given the revised BSF funding arrangements for Wave 7 onwards, the county council has identified the west coast of Cumbria as its highest priority area for BSF investment because this is the area of the county with the highest levels of social

and educational need. The Regional Spatial Strategy identified West Cumbria as a ‘regeneration priority area’. The rationale for this approach was set out in our Expression of Interest (December 2008) and is aligned with Britain’s Energy CoastTM Masterplan for West Cumbria, the Council Plan and the Council’s Strategy for Learning. The following vision for Britain’s Energy Coast™ was endorsed by the Government who are a partner in its implementation.

“By 2027 West Cumbria will be a confident place that prides itself on its strong economy providing opportunities for all and offering a lifestyle of choice.”

It will:• be globally recognised as a leading nuclear energy environment and related

technology business cluster, building on its nuclear assets and its technology and research strengths

• be a strong, diversified and well connected economy, with a growing, highly skilled population with high employment

• project a positive image to the world, and be recognised by all as an area of scientific excellence, outstanding natural beauty and vibrant lifestyle, which attracts a diverse population and visitor profile

• provide opportunities for all its communities, where geography is not a barrier to achievement and where deprivation, inequality and social immobility have been reduced

The county council and its partners see BSF as a substantial and vital contribution to achieving these significant aspirations.

This statement focuses on the county council’s readiness to deliver the top priority project (phase 1) for BSF investment, which covers five secondary schools, one special school and a pupil referral unit in West Cumbria. Work to develop our BSF strategy for this phase 1 is well advanced and early development of the first follow-on project (phase 2), which includes a further group of seven secondary schools in West Cumbria, is progressing in parallel. Initial work is also in hand to roll-out the subsequent projects in other areas of the county. The county council’s strategy is to develop and maintain momentum for the county-wide implementation of BSF (which includes seven phases in all), to engage in strategic planning county-wide and to draw up area-based priorities as part of this process. This approach will ensure an authority-wide coherence, together with area-based locality strategies to deliver the necessary change that meets local needs. (see also 3.1.6)

3.1 Transformational Overview

3.1.1 Context and visionThe county council is excited by the opportunity to transform secondary education in the county through BSF over the next ten years as part of its wider regeneration approach with partners in Cumbria. The aim is to provide every young person in the county with a learning environment that meets their needs and aspirations so that all achieve their full potential. We are clear in our aspirations for the future and the vision within the Council Plan “Building Pride in Cumbria” 2009-2012 places the learner at the centre of all that we do:

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‘All children and young people in Cumbria will have access to appropriate, high quality education in the community that enables them to achieve the skills, knowledge and qualities to become responsible and successful citizens’.

We will achieve this vision by providing learning that:• is inspirational, enjoyable, meaningful and relevant• encourages collaboration• actively develops innovative and creative practice• helps overcome barriers to achievement• supports individuals and communities; respecting their differences• encourages learners to take responsibility for their own learning

The Plan and our vision were widely consulted upon during the autumn of 2008 and were endorsed by partners, including schools, in January 2009. It is that vision, supported by our recently adopted ‘Strategy for Learning’, which drives our developing BSF Strategy for Change.

The Children & Young People’s Plan 2007-2010 (CYPP) was developed and agreed by all the partners of Cumbria Children’s Trust. It sets out the priorities for all services working together to improve outcomes for children and young people in Cumbria. It represents a shared commitment to continuous improvement of services and partnership working which will support sustainable improved outcomes.

The CYPP identifies 16 key priorities that have been developed in consultation with a wide range of children, young people, families and all Children’s Trust partners. All of the key priorities align with the Every Child Matters (ECM) outcomes and the goals for 2020 in the national Children’s Plan.

Cumbria is a county of higher than average educational performance. From 2007 to 2008 there was a 2.7 percentage point increase in 5 A*-C with English and maths, taking us above the national average in 2008. Early analysis of 2009 school results shows standards have continued to improve at 5 A*-C with English and maths, with a 3.9 percentage point improvement to 52.3% of cohort (excluding academies) achieving this level. A Level and school 6th form outcomes, however, are aspects which require urgent attention in a number of schools, particularly on the west coast, even prior to the Local Authority (LA) assuming responsibility from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for post-16 learning.

Overall, young people living in our priority area of West Cumbria achieve less well than county, regional and national averages at all Key Stages.

They must overcome considerable challenges if they are to be successful:• Be Healthy - Higher levels of alcohol misuse against county averages, neglect

linked to poverty and concern over the level of obesity.• Stay Safe – Highest level of referral to social care and the highest number of

children in care compared to the national and county average. Domestic violence is more prevalent as is the level of neglect.

• Enjoy & Achieve – Of the 12 secondary schools in the west, five were priority schools for persistent absence and four schools are subject to National Challenge arrangements. The proportions of young people with statements of special educational needs or supported on School Action Plus range from 6.5% to 28.9% of a school’s population (January 2009 pupil census).

• Make A Positive Contribution – The rural nature of parts of West Cumbria and the overall poor infrastructure makes mobility in a locality and the take up of leisure activities a challenge.

• Achieve Economic Well-being – West Cumbria has higher levels of unemployment than the rest of the county. In some neighbourhoods there is a second generation of never being in employment. The area also has lower than average levels of educational participation amongst young people (18-19 year olds).

Britain’s Energy CoastTM strategy seeks to address many of these issues and BSF will play a significant part in enabling pupils to contribute to the achievement of economic well-being on the West Coast.

In summary, the county council and its partners, through BSF, aspire to the transformation of education in Cumbria by:• being flexible, adaptable and ‘future proofed’ • being learner centred: addressing inequalities, not tolerating poor performance • ensuring equality of access to the highest quality education for all• promoting Inclusive Cumbria and a social inclusion strategy• offering personalised 14-19 learner entitlement for all• promoting the development of a greater diversity of access to learning• transforming learning through collaborative practices, partnership working and

the creative use of Information Communications Technology (ICT)• being a key driver for social and community wide regeneration• encouraging innovation at institutional level to improve learning outcomes• linking schools and business to raise aspirations• growing a dynamic, innovative workforce of the future

3.1.2 Choice, diversity and accessThe combined effect of our transformational approach to learning and the identification and targeting of underperformance will increase significantly the numbers of pupils who can attain their full potential. Our Readiness to Deliver document details the ways in which personalisation, collaboration and new governance structures will address the key factors which influence underperformance, in line with the philosophy of 21st Century Schools. We know that only by building partnerships around the learner, by expanding the influence of our best leaders and practitioners, by driving out underperformance and by delivering better continuity will we ensure the high standards that we want for all learners in Cumbria.

Cumbria already celebrates a diversity of provision, with community, foundation and trust schools and academies working together as part of the current system. The present secondary provision includes; four academies, seven aided (four Catholic, two Church of England, one non-denominational), 15 community, one controlled (non-denominational), one trust and nine foundation schools. In relation


Cabinet Copyto choice, 93.3% of parents had their first preference for a secondary school place met in 2009/10.

We are proposing new collaborative governance structures in our phase 1 proposals, including a hard federation and a National Challenge Trust.

The local authority has actively sought to engage schools, parents, local communities, including the Local Committees, and our key partners in the development of our strategy for the future, especially about greater extended use by the communities of our schools. Consultation with the main stakeholders and focus groups has taken place in West Cumbria to reflect the early BSF investment proposed for this area. This was positively received and the feedback has enabled us to further refine our BSF plans. We will undertake more specific local consultation and adapt our future plans as part of the development of our Strategy for Change (SfC) during 2010.

We are currently working with schools to ensure that second specialisms will support the strategic ambition of the local authority, complement existing specialisms and further support our diploma delivery planning. BSF will help us to develop a network of specialist schools that will add further to the choice available to parents and young people of Cumbria. The use of community plans will increase collaboration with primaries and local businesses through ICT.

‘Staying on’ rates between years 11 and 12 have increased in the last four years from 41.2% to 43.2%. The BSF investment programme will enable the effectiveness of the 14-19 strategy to be maximised and will provide the correct balance of post-16 and 14-19 places to be created within our schools.

We continue to have a regular dialogue about our proposals and consultation with the Office of the Schools Commissioner (OSC) either directly or through the Cumbria Educational Attainment Executive Board.

Cumbria County Council, working both independently and through the Children’s Trust, has a strong record of strategic needs based commissioning. Our work to commission children’s centres and Integrated Youth Services plus a range of targeted services for young people, will complement the BSF programme demonstrating an ongoing commitment to service design and commissioning based on an intelligent understanding of individual and community needs.

Through BSF, the county council and its partners will:• increase the impetus and coherence of collaboration and partnership between

schools in order to develop a shared responsibility for the progress and well-being of all pupils and greater community access

• further develop the integrated and strategic work between all groups and partnerships accountable to the Children’s Trust so improving outcomes for children across all of the ECM agenda

• further reduce the gap in performance and provision so increasing choice and access to good or better education by increasing the capacity and confidence of leadership and management at all levels to spread best practice, develop innovative change and plan succession

• extend and establish different pathways to learning (post-16, 14-19) so increasing choice, diversity, progress and retention for all young people to meet the 2015 target of all up to age 18 participating in education or training

• enable enhanced and widened access to the latest ICT technologies• strengthen governance and accountability, implement changes as above in

phase 1 and continue to explore new governance arrangements and collaborations with phase 2 and subsequent phase schools

• strengthen locality planning, commissioning and service delivery• increase the participation of children, young people and their families in service

development and design

3.1.3 Identifying and tackling underperformance of schools and groupsThe county council’s priority for BSF is to focus on the needs of young people and their families in communities where the challenge of socio-economic deprivation is high. Its target is to transform outcomes for communities, schools and groups so that all share the success enjoyed by much of the population in Cumbria. This will enhance community cohesion. Our strategy for transformation will engage all schools, settings and providers, from early years through to post-16 education, working in partnership, in a programme of action to ensure that all children are able to achieve highly at every stage in their education.

The local authority has clear procedures in place to challenge all schools on areas of underperformance. These include the analysis of key stage test and examination results and involve local authority officers and School Improvement Partners (SIP). A wide variety of evidence is considered in deciding the level of support to be given to individual schools. This includes data related to tests and examinations, authorised and unauthorised absence, persistent absence, exclusion and level and quality of support for Special Educational Needs (SEN).

Our robust approach has led to a significant improvement in GCSE results in Cumbria over recent years. Against this pattern of overall improvement the progress made from Key Stages, KS2 to KS4 by pupils in 14 of our 36 schools in 2008 was below what might be expected, whilst a majority of schools in the initial project continue to under-perform. In 2009 one of these schools recorded results below the 30% threshold for 5+A*-C including English and maths, with a further two below 40%. BSF will be a driving force for a step change in levels of performance across the county as a whole, and specifically in the priority area through enabling the greater personalisation of learning, increased collaboration between schools and new governance structures that will address the key factors which influence underperformance (see 3.1.2 above).

Underperformance is challenged robustly and improvement is supported. Analysis of performance of different groups has identified underachievement for a number of key groups. A key priority within the CYPP and for the Children’s Trust is to narrow these gaps through cross service and multi agency work with schools and families.

All secondary schools are members of area consortia which promote collaboration to raise standards. These collaboratives are central to the process of improvement across the county. Schools work closely with each other and with the LA to tackle locally identified issues.


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Within the past two years, a number of secondary schools have been removed from Ofsted categories. Currently only two of the secondary schools are subject to a Notice to Improve and none are in special measures. When improvement has not been sustained, we have used structural intervention to create academies and we are currently engaging all of our West Cumbria secondary schools in discussions on potential new governance arrangements to improve performance.

The local authority now has only one school where results are below the Government’s floor target for 2011. A further four schools continue to receive support under the National Challenge initiative.

Despite these improvements, the biggest challenges remain, however, of:• narrowing the deprivation gap between communities• narrowing the gender gap in performance which exists in some schools • narrowing the gap in performance which exists between pupils entitled to free

school meals and their peers• narrowing the gap in performance which exists between pupils at School Action,

School Action Plus and Looked After Children and their peers

Through BSF, the county council and its partners will:• improve further the processes to enable early identification of and intervention

with under-performing schools and groups• tailor provision and infrastructure to tackle underperformance - for example,

through more extensive and sophisticated use of ICT• implement systems which ensure area-wide accountability for the outcomes for

all children, young people and families who live in the locality• build on the exceptionally high standards achieved county-wide at KS2

3.1.4 Learning BSF investment will enable us to create a network of world class secondary schools and centres of learning in communities which will be resilient and able to thrive on the challenges posed by increasingly rapid economic, social and global change. We believe that the vision of 21st century learning articulated in the Government’s White Paper “21st Century Schools: A World Class Education for Every Child” and in the Gilbert Report “2020 Vision” provides the underpinning pedagogy to enable us to achieve this ambition.

Our view of learning in the future is driven by ‘A Strategy for Learning in Cumbria (2009)’. This identifies eight underlying principles that will inform our planning for the future. The first principle is that of ‘Giving Priority to Learners’ by:• school organisation in Cumbria being driven by the needs and aspirations of its

learners• schools being required to facilitate and promote personalised learning for all

their learners• strategic provision of schools in Cumbria actively supporting the integrated

CYPP• school learning and experiential environments raising individuals’ aspirations,

self-esteem and achievements• all learners and teachers having access to high quality ICT systems to improve

learning, teaching and achievement, and enable distance learning and enhanced communication

• all models of education maximising learning and minimising barriers to learning

The skills, abilities and aspirations needed for success in a rapidly changing world are at the heart of the authority’s approach. The personalisation of learning will ensure that all young people, their families, the workforce and communities will be better prepared to meet the challenges of the future.

Designing learning around the learners’ needs is a central feature of provision across the county and will form the foundation of the process of transforming learning and improving provision. This process will ensure that the gap between our most vulnerable students and their peers is narrowed; that opportunities for our most able students to excel are increased; that learning is structured in such a way as to enable all children to progress and become more engaged in their learning and that parents are increasingly seen as partners in learning.

BSF will provide the opportunity to drive forward innovative and flexible approaches to learning within a broad and balanced curriculum. In particular, BSF investment will support a step change in how new technologies are used to support personalisation of learning through anytime access to resources and high quality interactive solutions enabling more choice on how, where and when to learn.

The council supports schools in developing Assessment for Learning, tracking of pupils’ progress and individual target setting to enable learning to be personalised. Personalised Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS) and a focus on effective learning and teaching are key to improving opportunities for the learner to succeed and will be developed further under BSF.

Our strategic 14-19 governance structure will ensure that BSF investment will enable the acceleration towards a more flexible 14-19 curriculum offer which will support the key outcomes from the Gilbert Review. We are also embracing other elements of the 14-19 agenda including the development of Foundation Learning, Gateway 4 diplomas and broader opportunities for apprenticeships. In West Cumbria, we want to improve post-16 performance through federated 6th forms and 14-19 Skills Centres. A key priority will be the implementation of a common ICT solution to share attendance and assessment data between institutions. Currently schools are collaborating with Theatre by the Lake in developing and delivering Performing Arts Youth apprenticeships and a level 3 Creative and Media Diploma. In addition, the expansion of creative partnerships will be used to encourage greater use of art and culture in the curriculum including an arts project to decorate site hoardings during each school development. A sport and active leisure studies diploma will be available from September 2010 involving Lakes College and Netherhall School.

BSF will allow us to think again about the kinds of spaces that we wish to see in our new and remodelled schools. It will enable us to construct an infrastructure for the future which will incorporate:


Cabinet Copy flexible spaces for learning both inside and out that are appropriate for the full

range of the curriculum experiences, activities and learning styles which engage and promote independence and a love of learning

learning environments that will support transition to future learning opportunities into Further Education (FE), Higher Education (HE) and the workplace

provision that is adaptable, physically as well as organisationally, to meet changes and developments over time

environments that inspire with sufficient recreational and meeting areas to promote social interaction and creativity, active and healthy living and cultural learning

facilities which enable on-site, off-site and home-based e-learning for all learners and teachers

processes to support the development of learning communities for members of the workforce to extend their learning, to share practice and work in innovative partnerships.

structures for other services such as childcare, youth service, adult education, library, health and social services, and sports and arts facilities to meet the wider needs of all learners, families and communities, promoting active and healthy lifestyles and cultural activity.

3.1.5 CurriculumFrom Strategy for Learning, the learner is at the heart of the vision for the educational provision of the future in Cumbria. The local authority’s objective is that all children and young people should have access to a broad range of quality programmes of study that raise aspirations and achievement and narrow the gaps in performance between groups. These programmes will offer progression routes through to 6th form, further and higher education, employment and training, as appropriate.

A creative and innovative approach to the development of curriculum is the key to improving opportunities for all learners and engaging them fully. BSF will, for example, enable the fullest development of the QCDA Big Picture approach to the curriculum so that learners become confident, responsible and successful. BSF will give power to such approaches through the development of provision which enables these qualities to thrive.

The local authority is supporting and challenging schools to develop a broader and more balanced Key Stage 3 curriculum aligned with the Secondary National Strategy and encompassing those skills commonly included within the ‘Learn to Learn’ umbrella e.g. independent learning, creativity, enterprise and making good choices. We will build upon the recommendations of The Rose Review with our revised frameworks developing better knowledge and understanding of student potential at transfer.

The focus on skill and competency based curriculum objectives, including PLTS, will be enhanced with the broad curriculum offer personalised to meet the needs and talents of the learner. Collaboration between schools in each locality will enable even greater flexibility of delivery, wider choice and maximum benefits to the learner of schools’ strengths and specialisms. To this end, significant enhancement of course provision, based upon collaborative delivery across all

travel to learn areas, is planned through the development of improved facilities for learning and teaching. Where schools are designated as ‘specialist’ centres of excellence or diploma line of learning leads, curriculum specialisms are used to provide a basis for the diplomas. BSF will further enable the development of this approach.

BSF will enable ICT to be used to support access to the broad and rich curriculum through the existing reliable and resilient, high capacity connectivity delivered to schools, with high quality and effective hardware appropriate to needs and focused training to support practitioner development. Commissioned curriculum resources and locally developed media will be shared across sites and communities through effective use of ICT infrastructure and appropriate licensing.

The Cumbria 14-19 Strategic Partnership's plan aims to secure access and fully integrated delivery to the national 14-19 curriculum entitlement, including delivery of all diploma lines, and the raising of the participation age by 2013. The partnership includes all secondary schools, special schools, LSC, FE colleges, approved training providers, employers and support agencies including Connexions and the Education Business Link Organisation. The goal is to enable all young people to ‘choose to succeed’. The five ‘travel to learn’ area partnerships work to develop an efficient, integrated and high-quality system of education which ensures that the broadest possible range of quality courses and pathways are available to all students. This enables all lines of learning to be commissioned and delivered. BSF will enable us to build strongly on the LA’s innovative cross-sector approach to delivery of the 14-19 curriculum which was awarded Beacon Status under the Better, Brighter Futures theme in 2008-09.

Through BSF, the county council and its partners will: continue to enable personalised learning programmes to be developed, which

ensure that all young people acquire the skills needed for lifelong learning in the 21st century

create the facilities, resources, expertise and environments needed for the delivery of a wide spectrum of learning routes

ensure integrated and interoperable ICT systems, enabling all learners to access high quality resources and support across the curriculum in the local area and beyond

recognise the benefits to physical and mental health for all learners from innovative thinking and programming of ‘active spaces’

3.1.6 Integrated Children’s Services, ECM and extended schoolsThe geography and diversity of Cumbria makes it essential that service development and delivery is done as locally as possible. With the exception of the most specialist services, all partners are committed to reshaping service delivery and management arrangements into areas that match ‘natural’ communities. This is leading to greater co-ordination and integration as well as ensuring that there is flexibility to meet local need and prevent the escalation of problems in families.

Recognising the issue of providing services to diverse and often remote communities, the Children’s Trust has established five Local Planning Groups (LPG) to ensure the delivery of agreed strategic priorities and outcomes for children


Cabinet Copyand young people in specific areas of the county. They are responsible for analysing local need, identifying priorities, monitoring performance and re-shaping delivery of preventative services on a multi-agency basis.

The ability to share key data through integrated ICT systems or secure online access to information from any location in a timely manner is a key element for the successful delivery of this model.

The LPGs are co-ordinating the integration of front line targeted services to improve prevention and early intervention. This integration is based on a series of 28 local footprints where services are delivered either in schools, children’s centres or other places that have been determined locally. These footprints have been developed around a series of Key Service Centres (KSC). One of the key criteria used to identify a town as a KSC is the location of a secondary school with its corresponding primary schools. The LPGs which are multi-agency, led by Children’s Services, meet regularly to plan and monitor provision and services in localities.

By 2010, each KSC will have at least one children’s centre. The footprint around that centre will correspond to a cluster of extended schools. Children’s Services will ensure an holistic approach to provision supporting children, their families and communities across all age groups, linked to future BSF developments where possible. This is particularly important through the transition points which many families find challenging. Early identification of need and swift intervention then ensure that many more young people are supported to achieve success in learning, leisure and working life.

Cumbria’s CYPP is predicated on the effective delivery of the five ECM outcomes and our Children’s Trust is the planning and delivery vehicle that is ensuring the effective integration of all children’s services. The Trust includes membership from a wide range of our partner agencies including the Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Police. A recent needs assessment has been undertaken to inform our revised CYPP and new joint commissioning arrangements are being developed to secure improved services across partner agencies.

The key performance indicators within our Readiness to Deliver are linked to objectives within the Council Plan and the CYPP, thus ensuring that the improved outcomes that BSF investment will bring support the wider corporate priorities for change in Cumbria.

Progress on this front is achieved in partnership with parents and a ‘Think Family’ approach. The county council and its partners work with parents, communities and employers to build ambition and expectation for the future of all young people, to increase availability of key skills in the local population and to develop new routes to employment in the local and regional economy that will be of value to young people as they graduate from school or college.

We are proactive in consulting with our stakeholders and responding to their needs. All schools in the local authority have achieved the extended services 2010 target of delivering the full core offer. This early realisation of the target reflects the ambition of our schools to meet the range of needs within their local communities.

The design process for our new and remodelled schools will allow us to consider how we might provide more flexible learning spaces that will accommodate a greater range of community activities.

BSF investment will further support our healthy schools initiative in Cumbria. New and improved kitchen facilities will enable pupils to access hot meals that reach the required food and nutritional standards. The design of attractive and industry standard dining spaces will encourage pupils to enjoy the dining experience offered in schools. This will also contribute to the motivation of pupils throughout the school day. The support given to this agenda across a wide range of activities will enable all schools to achieve, sustain and exceed the Healthy Schools standard. We will also consider health programmes such as extending schools’ involvement in Mind Exercise Nutrition Do it! (MEND).

New technologies will play an important role in supporting our healthy schools work. The provision of integrated cashless catering systems across the estate will, for example, provide relevant, local and live data to schools to help students to adopt healthy lifestyles.

During 2008 the Cumbria Sport Partnership led a nationally recognised event under the National Physical Education (PE) & Sport Strategy for Young People (PESSYP) in association with Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust. This resulted in the production of the Cumbria PE and Sport Strategic Framework 2008-2011. Discussions are ongoing in relation to the provision of additional resources to further extend the sporting opportunities available to all. The location of the Cumbria Sports Partnership within Children’s Services, the networks and links for Sport, PE, Physical Activity, Youth Service Activity and locality leadership for developing Sport and PE means that there are well established and excellent working relationships between partner agencies. New and improved sports facilities within our schools will enable us to ensure that the PE and School Sport Public Service Agreement target is met during the school day and delivery through community and club providers beyond the school day. This will be supported by the provision of area-wide online booking and the availability of information, linked where possible to authority-wide booking services. There are four themed groups to drive forward the delivery of the '5 Hour Offer'. One of these groups focuses on high quality PE on educational sites with links to community sports networks and this will build upon and fully contribute to the BSF PE and sport workstream group in developing thinking for the SfC in 2010.

ICT is being developed to complement and support wider access to learning through community access to hardware and resources, parental and student virtual learning, information and communication, and mobile learning opportunities. We will explore the opportunities for connecting local libraries with school learning resource centres and the use of a common library management system to facilitate open access to resource availability. Through travel to learn we would be looking to develop innovative solutions facilitated by mobile technology e.g. learners using mobile devices on buses while travelling between locations.

The Playing for Success study centres, through their programme of study, assist local schools in raising achievement by motivating pupils to be more effective, life-


Cabinet Copylong learners and developing pupils’ self esteem, confidence and independent study skills.

Through BSF, the county council and its partners will:• provide wraparound community and extended services on school sites to

engage the ‘hard to reach families’, tailored to the needs of each individual school community and articulated in Schools’ Strategy for Change (SSfCs). This will help to develop a clear vision and understanding for schools on how attainment outcomes for young people are inevitably intertwined with a broader set of child, family and community outcomes. (Exact details per site to be developed as part of SfC).

• create environments in every secondary school fit for the delivery of a range of services and for the provision of confidential advice, support and guidance.

• bring services to people in a way which improves access, take-up and impact, particularly the core-offer of extended services; including PE, sport and culture.

• build on matched footprints and local delivery platforms for extended services and children’s centres

• build on Family Learning and parenting support and training to ensure Think Family is an integral part of BSF

• further develop relationships with our partners, especially the PCT, to improve young people’s health through initiatives such as healthy schools and healthy lifestyles

• build on the existing work with the Parent Support Advisors, the Parent Early Intervention Project and the Family Nurse Partnership Project

• improve the quality and use of data across all five ECM outcomes and enhance interoperability of school and authority Management Information Systems (MIS) links

• roll out the DCSF Playing for Success initiative in the west of the county• ensure all secondary schools have appropriate facilities for one to one and

group counselling; e.g. a drop-in teen health centre with clear links to learning• implement access control and Internet Protocol based Close Circuit Television

(IPCCTV) to maintain safe environments for learners whilst providing community extended services

3.1.7 InclusionCumbria has a long standing policy (‘Inclusive Cumbria’) which sets out our commitment to equality of opportunity for all children and young people regardless of their special educational needs (SEN)/disabilities or their gender, ethnic origin or social background. In 2009 it has also adopted an Anti-Poverty strategy which requires all parts of the council to do all they can to address social exclusion and some of its underlying causes. As a directorate, Children’s Services is also committed to an Inclusion Strategy which will set a framework for local initiatives to help continue to improve levels of behaviour, attendance and truancy, building on previous successful local initiatives and projects. BSF will help to strengthen this development as we can incorporate physical changes needed to underpin this work.

We are proud of our successful long term strategy of appropriately supported inclusion through which schools ensure the vast majority of children have their needs met in their local school. We are committed to removing barriers to

achievement and to support individual children and young people to make progress. Work to achieve this, in partnership with service users and their families/carers, is happening across all partner organisations of the Children’s Trust and in all their services.

The CYPP has inclusion as one of its five values. The values are based on ten key words given by children and young people from across Cumbria. They described how they want services to be delivered and included the word ‘Fair’ which they summed up as meaning: “We want services that do not judge the way we look, speak or where we come from.”

Two of the 16 current strategic priorities in the CYPP, based on needs analysis, will be supported through BSF investment. The first is ‘Reducing inequalities and disadvantage in areas of high need and for identified vulnerable groups’ and the second is ‘Narrowing the gap and raising the aspirations of children, young people and their families.’

The CYPP’s five multi-agency locality plans translate its strategic aspirations into relevant priorities that reflect the nature of local communities. In some of our more rural areas, for example, transport for young people is a key barrier to inclusion. We also have a county-wide ‘Narrowing the Gap’ initiative in place. In delivering this, we are also contributing to one of the objectives in Cumbria’s Community Strategy which is to have safe, strong and inclusive communities and to at least one of our Local Area Agreement (LAA) priority outcomes.

Cumbria already uses ICT to promote inclusion – for example, through the Home Access Targeted Groups provision across the county. Through the BSF managed service, educational establishments will be able to provide additional hardware and software to targeted groups, which will greatly enhance their access to learning.

Under BSF, Gifted and Talented (G&T) pupils will have more opportunities to work as a virtual group across schools and become a strong, connected learning community. This will be achieved by building on the work of Cumbria and Lancashire Education Online (CLEO), which hosts the national virtual learning environment (VLE) for G&T students. The development of more flexible learning spaces within the newly built schools will enable transformation of curriculum delivery to facilitate a stage not age learning approach. This will address the needs of these, often isolated, G&T students.

Through BSF we will continue to ensure the specific needs of all under-performing groups are addressed and take the opportunity to explore and evaluate more effective approaches to tackling underachievement so that pedagogy and the design of new learning environments transform the outcomes of these key groups. Technology is highly effective in supporting these learners, enabling access to different approaches to learning, increasing engagement and supporting those with specific learning needs and disabilities. The learning platform and other technology based tools will empower learners who are unable to attend in person to participate in education through online access to resources, tutor support and collaboration with other learners.The county council and its partners will, through BSF:


Cabinet Copy enable new developments to continue to accommodate our diverse needs. For

example, co-location of special schools with secondary schools will enable a greater degree of inclusion for vulnerable groups

meet the outcomes in the CYPP and meet the development work and physical changes needed to improve, behaviour, attendance and truancy

allow students a wider range of opportunity in a non-discriminatory learning environment. Students with SEN and disabilities will be able to make an enhanced contribution to the wider school community and be able to move, alongside their peers, into further education and employment

3.1.8 Special Educational Needs (SEN)In February 2003 the county council approved the Inclusive Cumbria policy which sets out the vision and beliefs which underpin our SEN strategy. Our vision is for an inclusive educational system that enables all learners to benefit from successful learning opportunities in their communities. As part of this, we are committed to the continued development of special schools at the heart of an inclusive learning community and as part of a necessary and desirable continuum of learning. Co-location of special schools with mainstream schools will be considered under BSF if it affords better learning opportunities for children with severe learning difficulties.

We will meet the needs of learners as close to their communities as the necessary adaptations and expertise can be found. Strategically resourced schools were introduced to ensure a range of appropriate provision was available. We have 25 strategically resourced schools (11 secondary, 14 primary). Five of them cater exclusively for pupils on the autistic spectrum, five of them meet the needs of learners who have physical or medical needs, two are for hearing impaired, three cover the needs of children with profound or severe learning difficulties and the remainder cover more than one category of need. They provide:

• physical adaptation to access the whole curriculum in the case of pupils with hearing difficulties or physical disability

• access to appropriate expertise in the case of pupils requiring the administration of medication

• access to appropriately trained staff• security for the authority in being able to direct pupils to provision that is

appropriate for their need

In 2004 the council produced a blueprint for the future of our specialist schools which provides a developing role for them as more flexible resources supporting community learning. We have five special schools for pupils with severe and complex learning difficulties located in Carlisle, Whitehaven, Barrow-in-Furness, Kendal and Ulverston. Most of our special schools have strong partnership links with schools in their learning community and in Kendal there have been constructive discussions strongly supporting the possibility of co-location.

Co-location could create an inclusive learning campus which enables pupils with severe learning difficulties to continue to access the safe and specialist learning environment they currently have whilst increasing their access to a range of specialist sport, science or drama facilities available on a mainstream campus.

We currently have low usage of external specialist residential provision. We have 30 pupils placed out of county in specialist residential provision. We would seek to reduce this further by the development of adaptable and agile learning environments supported by adaptable and trained teachers and support staff to produce individualised and creative learning opportunities.

The deployment of appropriate technologies is used to enable access to as full a curriculum as possible. Currently, for example, there is switch access for pupils with profound and complex difficulties. This includes SEN specific hardware, the development of technology to support alternative and augmentative communication and the delivery of curriculum for blind children within their communities. Additionally, students who are absent for extended periods, for example, through hospitalisation, will have online access to school based resources through the learning platform which will allow students to have continuity in their learning.

In Cumbria, as in other authorities, the areas of increased challenge in special education are in children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders and emotional and social behavioural needs. Research shows that for both these groups the shape, size and structure of the physical learning environment are a significant factor in meeting their needs. BSF will enable us to work with schools to create the necessary creative adaptive learning environments to ensure the needs of these learners are met.

Through BSF, the county council and its partners will:• provide students in special schools with improved access to mainstream school

courses and curriculum facilities and wider services – ensuring a personalised, differentiated curriculum

• increase partnership working between special school staff, Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) staff, mainstream schools and behaviour specialists to better address the needs of under-achieving groups

• support the work of our effective Behaviour & Attendance Partnership that targets resources more effectively to areas of identified need

• develop specialist provision within mainstream schools to target students in danger of marginalisation and possible progression to Not in Employment Education or Training. This provision will be supported by specialist PRU staff and will offer a personalised curriculum to these students, supported by specialist counselling and behaviour support

• promote special schools further as centres of expertise, with therapeutic support; access to therapies and services on school sites e.g. Speech and Language Therapy (SALT), providing integrated “Team Around the Child” focused services/multi-agency working and, where possible, explore co-location with LA teams

• support the workforce to develop a Foundation Learning curriculum through appropriate training in order to develop competency in delivery

• ensure that the voice of the learner, parent and carer are central to the development of provision and to the monitoring and review of its effectiveness

• provide the opportunity to improve provision and create a range of pedagogical provisions where the curriculum, teaching and learning strategies, skills and deployment of staff and the social spaces, PE and sport facilities and learning


Cabinet Copyenvironments are flexible and focused on meeting the range of needs of Cumbria’s learning community

• establish an ICT managed service which will improve access for special needs students through further enhancements to the established learning platform, provide appropriate assistive technologies to facilitate access to learning support and for parents to enable the home use of such equipment, where possible

• provide wraparound / extended services on school sites to engage the ‘hard to reach families’, tailored to the needs of each individual school community and articulated in SSfCs. This will help to develop a clear vision and understanding for schools on how attainment outcomes for young people are inevitably intertwined with a broader set of child, family and community outcomes. (Exact details per site to be developed as part of SfC)

3.1.9 Leadership and change managementCumbria is committed to the creation of a school system which is responsive to a changing global economy, changes in society and rapid technological innovation and which will equip children for the opportunities of the 21st century.

Cumbria used Bryanston Square to provide impetus to early visioning and all phase 1 and 2 schools commenced the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children’s Services (NCLSCS) BSF Leadership Programme in January 2010. This provides the springboard for school teams in implementing change within their own schools and develop individual SSfCs.

Our change management strategy will develop the capacity in schools to enable them to address the short term demands of BSF but also to meet the longer term demands of innovation and transformational leadership that BSF investment will generate. The leadership strand of our change management plan is specifically designed to support our senior leaders in schools through this process. We are confident that this will ensure that schools are prepared for change and do not suffer any blight in performance due to the BSF process.

Our approach to change management builds on a sequence of well established steps and processes which underpin our work as a local authority and a children’s service; developing a clear vision and consultation with all stakeholders, well sequenced towards transformed outcomes. The emphasis on partnership working is considered critical throughout. The change leadership approach has served us well in achieving Beacon Status for our 14-19 plans and subsequent implementation of change, within such a large, diverse and complex county.

The Cumbria Framework for Leadership Development, jointly established with the University of Cumbria and other partners, targets the growth of leaders at all levels. Distribution of leadership and sustainability of developments are central to all programmes. The School Improvement Team works in partnership with the NCLSCS to embed and enhance succession planning and capacity building throughout the school system. The NCLSCS BSF Leadership Programme adds a further opportunity to bring about a transformation in leadership on the scale envisaged, and is part of our workforce development strategy within children’s services. Our schools are recognising the need to strengthen middle leadership and are developing aspiring senior leaders as part of their succession planning.

Experience gained from our existing academies programme and joint work with secondary leaders on developing creative new models of leadership through trust and federation arrangements provide a firm basis to take this forward.

Effective, creative and flexible governance arrangements are seen as equally critical to the transformation of provision in Cumbria. The strategic role of governors is under active review in order to ensure their contribution to change and future improvement. Cumbria is committed to developing robust models of school governance, leadership and partnership, which will be given greater impetus through BSF, to deliver long-term sustainable change. Governors must see the remit of the school within the wider learning community and will be engaged in developing integrated ‘system-wide’ solutions to the challenges presented in each locality.

Engaging student leaders and the student voice have been actively and successfully pursued as a key component of change management strategy. The values and beliefs within our CYPP derive directly from the voice of pupils and students from across Cumbria. Such views are taken seriously. Students are already engaged in 14-19 area partnerships and diploma development groups in all local consortia. This is an established way of working which we intend to develop even further towards achieving personalised provision for all. In addition, we plan to use the Sorrell Foundation to engage pupils in the BSF process.

Reconfiguring and realigning central support services for schools within our plans for ‘local transformation’ are the final key elements of successful and sustainable change. These processes are well advanced and multi-agency working is now the way Cumbria provides support for schools. Involving all key players in addressing the challenge of change and managing the iteration of strategic thinking towards imaginative operational solutions, is the way we intend to proceed with BSF.

Through BSF, the county council and its partners will: • further develop our existing procedures and capacity to manage change with all

key stakeholders • promote creative and effective leadership development throughout schools,

which grows our capacity to transform learning, promotes social inclusion and builds community cohesion

• implement and nurture new forms of leadership and governance in and across communities which will accelerate the transformation of provision

• further develop the role of student leaders in creating and evaluating the impact of change

• use well established and nationally recognised approaches to student engagement such as the Sorrell Foundation

• further develop the culture and capacity to support a flexible, forward-looking, e-confident workforce at all levels, eager and able to embrace change

• promote workforce development through effective use of ICT• ensure the managed service provider contributes to the change management

process and the development of effective working practices3.1.10 ICT Our vision is for all children and young people to utilise technologies confidently, effectively and safely alongside and outside the curriculum to support and stimulate


Cabinet Copyinnovation, creativity and achievement. This is to be fully supported by a well-developed, linked and responsive environment. As such there are three key aims for ICT:• transform teaching and learning to drive up standards, engage learners and

widen participation • build an open, accessible, inclusive and collaborative ICT system; and • raise ICT efficiency and effectiveness through both change leadership and

development, and environmental and infrastructural improvements

Embedded ICT and universal access will enable anytime, anywhere access to learning and development opportunities for children, young people and their families. The integration of the LA’s virtual learning environment, with schools’ MIS will create a fully managed learning environment that supports personalised e-profiles and the relationship between home, school and other learning environments. This will facilitate ease of access to parents and the community, inspiring and engaging learners whilst supporting inclusion. This could include global partner education authorities in Japan and Taiwan.

Through innovative use of technology, teachers will be empowered to deliver original, stimulating and engaging learning, whilst enabling the learner to benefit from such, both in formal and informal learning environments. Effective support, management and use of ICT will release staff from the burden of administering the technology. More teachers’ time can be spent on teaching through more efficient and effective ways of working. Improved parental and community involvement in schools can be achieved through access to high quality resources.

The development of a managed learning environment will allow secure electronic access for parents to appropriate information from the school MIS and where appropriate the ability to establish a communication channel between parent, learner and school. Measures to ensure e-safety provision and education are well advanced so that learners are able to access the Internet and ICT systems in a safe and secure way both in and out of the learning environment.

Strategic development of ICT provision gives the opportunity to apply coherent and consistent standards and universal integration across schools, the authority and the learning community. The authority intends to maintain the current effective use of the Harnessing Technology Grant in order to strategically deliver broadband provision and specific services in a collaborative partnership with Lancashire LA, through the CLEO Regional Broadband Consortium (RBC). CLEO has been recognised as a leader in the hosting and development of the national G&T VLE. Moving beyond the network infrastructure and connectivity that has been successfully delivered, we will use the focus provided by BSF to drive forward the potential of ICT to proactively support the development of teaching and learning practices.

Through BSF, the county council and its partners will:• develop an effective, robust and reliable managed service to provide schools

with hardware and training support to fully utilise the current provision of high quality, resilient strategic infrastructure

• continue the current effective and efficient use of the Harnessing Technology Grant to provide schools with high bandwidth internet connectivity and services through the local broadband consortium

• use a managed service as a strategic partner to commission new development programmes as appropriate to meet identified local and collaborative needs

• provide schools with leading edge ICT hardware and software to support learning, developing innovative uses of ICT in outdoor and community learning environments

• further develop Continued Professional Development training programmes to increase competence in usage and understanding of ICT capabilities and ensure e-confident teachers

• develop innovative practice with new technologies to allow students to communicate across their school, the county and internationally

• support inclusion and SEN through the development of home and community access programmes and specialist access provision

• develop integrated and standardised school MIS and MLE that allow for online reporting to parents

• develop innovative curriculum provision and content for schools, building upon current good practice such as Espresso content modules commissioned by the authority through its RBC and the work of Artisan Cam, which was recently given a BAFTA award for its contribution to education through media

• carefully consider the strategic development of the use of ’open source’ software as a core provision to maximise effective deployment and impact of resources

• utilise the development of a managed service to have maximum positive impact on learning strategically across the LA building on current innovative practice, e.g. interactive plasma screen developments to support learning, the innovative use of Digital Radio Technology to support the ‘Narrowing of the Gap’ in literacy and developing support within a possible virtual ‘City Learning Centre’ style model

• develop an integrated and supported approach to strategic data sharing through interoperability between the differing MIS found in schools and further education colleges across the LA

• investigate the provision of innovative support for learning and learners throughout their travel to learn experiences using leading edge technologies, including mobile services and wide area wireless networking

• develop strong strategic leadership in the use of ICT to enhance learning in schools and the LA through the supported application of a structured change management programme including the use of the Becta Self-Review Framework and schools working towards ICT Mark

• embed sustainable ICT leadership at all levels within schools with clearly defined roles and responsibilities

• further develop the effective use of technology to support transition between phases

• use ICT to effectively integrate, automate and monitor many of a school’s systems that support their connected real estate. This may include access


Cabinet Copycontrol, IPCCTV, procurement, cashless catering and building management systems. In addition, BSF-led use of centralised managed printing will help increase efficiency, reduce cost and have a positive impact on a school’s carbon footprint.

3.1.11 Sustainable schoolsCumbria has developed a Sustainability Appraisal Framework that is designed to integrate sustainability into both the policy and the practice of the council. The framework contains broad objectives aimed at improving access for all to services including education and employment opportunities, delivering learning and training to help everyone develop the values, knowledge and skills necessary to enable them to live and work in society, as well as promoting a sense of community identity.

Sustainable development for Cumbria means achieving four main objectives:• effective protection of the environment• prudent use of natural resources• social progress which recognises the needs of everyone• maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment

BSF will benefit Cumbria through sustainable procurement and enable long-term efficiency savings alongside effective use of natural resources. Innovation will be encouraged and provide strong signals to the sustainable products market. BSF investment will enable innovative internal and external learning environments to be created and will use the enviable, unique and diverse landscape of Cumbria to promote learning.

Schools have a special role to play with tremendous reach and influence and in Cumbria they will lead by example to showcase what can be achieved through awareness raising and setting practical examples in the reduction of carbon emissions which can be achieved through BSF. Our Education 21 Group has been in operation since the Rio Summit of 1992 and this partnership is made up of environmental education service providers who meet regularly to co-ordinate Cumbria's approach to environmental learning.

The LA will promote sustainable behaviours among schools and their communities by building on the well established Eco Schools initiative, providing advice and sources of information on energy efficiency, renewable energy and sustainability. The authority already has a policy of procuring green electricity through its energy purchasing contracts for corporate buildings, including schools. The design of new build and remodelled schools will maximise the use of natural light and ventilation whilst minimising energy use. School sites and the surrounding natural environment will also be used to enhance biodiversity and become community resources to promote sustainable principles and practices. Many schools are also involved in the Forest Schools Initiative. School capital developments supported through the BSF funding will, wherever possible, source local labour and materials and will operate green transport plans. A commitment to “green technologies” will be core to the BSF programme. The use of low power hardware, effective management controls and protocols, will lead

to reduced power consumption and help schools minimise their carbon footprint whilst developing and enhancing their use of ICT to support effective learning. It is intended that BSF funding will ensure that the 15% of public sector carbon emissions arising from energy use in school buildings, school travel and transport can be significantly reduced through the programme.

3.1.12 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) The headline KPIs identified below are derived from the principal objectives of our BSF vision and strategy. They represent those areas where BSF investment will make a real contribution to improving outcomes for the children and young people of Cumbria.

They support KPIs already identified within our Council Plan and our revised CYYP and, as such, reflect the wider corporate aspirations that BSF transformation will support.

The monitoring and evaluation of our KPIs will be undertaken in line with Corporate Performance Management procedures. The school level KPIs identified on our school chart will become part of schools’ own performance management arrangements and, as such, school improvement planning for each school will now reflect both school and LA KPIs. These will be subject to annual review as part of the self evaluation process and part of the ongoing dialogue with SIPs.

Our key indicators of success in terms of those educational and other outcomes that BSF investment can add further value to are set out in the table which follows:

Establishing Key Performance Indicators for Cumbria BSF


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Objective (KPI)

Possible Performance Indicators areas to consider

National Local Indicator

Baseline 08-09

Targets 2020

Link to plans

Narrowing the gap

Reduce the inequality gap in the achievement of a level 3 qualification by age 19 (FSM based) NI081 TBC TBC

CYPP 3.28

Reduce the inequality gap in the achievement of a level 2 qualification by age 19 (FSM based) NI082 TBC TBC

CYPP 3.29

Reduce the achievement gap between pupils for FSM and their peers at KS4 NI102 30.5% TBC

CYPP 3.35

Reduce the SEN to non-SEN gap at 5A*-C GCSEs including English and maths NI105 47.1% TBC

CYPP 3.37

Narrowing the gender gap TBC TBC

Narrowing the deprivation gap between communities IMD / IDACI TBC TBC

Improving attainment and life chances

Increase the percentage of pupils achieving five or more A*-C grades at GCSE including English and mathematics NI075 48.4% TBC

CYPP 3.11, LAA

Increase the percentage of children in care achieving five or more A*-C grades at GCSE including English and Maths NI101 10.5% 30%

CYPP 3.33, LAA

Reduce the number of first time entrants to the Criminal Justice System aged 10-17 NI111

854 (Baseline 05-06) 459

CYPP 4.03, LAA

Increase proportion of young offenders in suitable education, training and employment NI45 68.2% 90%

CYPP 5.07

Reduce the number of 16-18 year olds not in education, employment or training NI117

5.2% (Baseline 06-07) 0%

CYPP 5.04, LAA

Reduce persistent absence NI087 7%

14-19 programme activity and targets for West Cumbria Federated 6th Forms (Increase number of young people taking up diplomas) NI090 TBC TBC

CYPP 3.17

Reduce the percentage of children who have experienced bullying NI069 48.8% TBC

CYPP 2.09

Reduce rates of Substance / Alcohol misuse Based on admissions to A & E TBC TBC

CYPP 1.09

Access to PE and sport (two hours school, three hours community) NI057 79% 100%

CYPP 1.19, LAA

Reduce Obesity (measure for post primary) using GP data WHO TBC TBC

Increase the participation of 17 year-olds in education and training (monitors drop out from education in 16-18 bracket) NI091 TBC TBC

CYPP 3.07

Environment

Increase percentage of secondary schools inspected receiving outstanding or good Ofsted judgements NI086 76% TBC

CYPP 3.16, LAA

Carbon reduction

NI185 - C02 Reduction/NI186 Per Caption reductions in C02 TBC

Increase percentage of secondary schools where CVA from KS2 –KS4 is 1000+

(LP1020, APA 3105OF)

No measure past 2007 TBC

BREEAM targets for construction and refurbishment BREEAM N/A

V Good as min (excellent aspiration)

Reduction against Building Regulations for CO2 emissions

Building Regulations

Part L targets

10% over the Building regulations

Targets for waste recycling during build process TBC TBC

Extended schools (number and scope of facilities) NI088 245 All schools

CYPP 3.21

Improve transport facilities and integrate across the Partnerships (P3)

Need some form of indicator will need to be local TBC TBC

3.2 Deliverability

3.2.1 Pupil place planning


Cabinet CopyChanges in school organisation and/or governance and management arrangements will be inevitable if we are to sustain viable schools and avoid unreasonably high levels of surplus capacity. Cumbria’s rural geography demands inventive solutions to meet the conflicting pressures of parental preference/reasonable journey times and breadth of curriculum/equality of opportunity. It may not be possible to maintain small educational facilities in rural areas as traditional secondary schools, and consultation has already begun on alternative models such as all-through provision and hard federation. Positive early discussions have taken place with both Partnerships for Schools and the Office for the Schools Commissioner on the likely shape of our school organisation after BSF.

The authority currently has capacity for 35,715 students (11-16, based on Published Admission Numbers) across 37 secondary schools (including four academies). Post-16 education and training is delivered through a mix of school 6th

forms, a 6th form college, FE colleges, work-based learning organisations and apprenticeships. The vast majority of pupils with SEN are integrated into mainstream classes, although there are five dedicated special schools across the county with provision for around 500 pupils of all ages.

Our existing secondary schools come with a wide range of capacities and numbers on roll. Our largest school currently has a capacity of almost 1,900 and is operating at that capacity. Conversely, we have a number of very small establishments; three of our very rural secondary schools have fewer than 200 pupils on roll whilst another two are expected to fall below 200 during the next academic year (all figures as of January 2009).

We have in place a robust pupil projection methodology, which uses GP register data to provide information on pre-school pupils and historic patterns of pupil movement to project future numbers. This methodology has provided consistently accurate forecasts of secondary numbers, and we are confident that it will continue to do so throughout the BSF project.

Like many areas, births in Cumbria have fallen for two decades, although some of our more urban areas have experienced increases in the last three years. Whilst the trend in secondary pupil numbers is likely to continue downward for some years, by 2019 the increased births currently in evidence will begin to impact. We expect, therefore, that numbers will increase for several years after the low point is reached in 2018. By 2020, however, we expect that numbers will have fallen from their current level (34,150) to around 29,500. Due to recent rationalisation to address overprovision, we currently have a relatively healthy 7% surplus places across the county (comparing total numbers on roll (NOR) with total net capacity), but this figure is predicted to rise to almost 20% by 2020 if no changes are made.

Twenty six of our secondary schools and academies deliver 6th form provision, with capacity for 5,037 pupils and a current roll of 4,849. As with 11-16 numbers, we anticipate that post-16 numbers will fall by 2020 to around 4,150.

As part of our BSF planning, we are reviewing the delivery of SEN support. We are proposing to invest in one of our special schools as part of our initial project along

with the Pupil Referral Unit as part of a campus solution on one of the mainstream school sites.

The effect of falling rolls is likely to differ between different areas of the county. Many of our rural areas have an ageing population, whilst economic conditions and the increase in second-home ownership will continue to contribute to a diminishing school-age population in some areas. We will address this through BSF at individual school level through the removal of surplus capacity where appropriate, with the aim being to have no more than 5% to 8% surplus places across the secondary school estate post-BSF.

3.2.2 Estates planning Cumbria has carried out substantial work over the last three years to rationalise surplus capacity and renew its secondary school building stock. We have undertaken school reorganisation in our most densely populated areas: three schools in Barrow have been replaced by a single academy; two schools in the west of the county have been replaced by an academy; the nine schools in and around Carlisle have been reduced to seven, including two academies.

Further school reorganisation is now being considered under the four models for learning contained within our Strategy for Learning. BSF investment will be concentrated on the schools in our medium-sized urban centres, market towns and rural areas in the west. We are, therefore, working on the basis, for the phase 1 project, that we will reduce the number of secondary schools by one. We will also seek to remove capacity to ensure surplus places remain at a reasonable level across the schools involved.

We will also be undertaking further feasibility work on all-through approaches in those areas where this is appropriate by aligning future Primary Capital Programme funding and, where schools are to be completely rebuilt, will significantly reduce the capacity.

We have targeted initial BSF investment at schools where pupils suffer from the greatest deprivation and where standards need the greatest improvement. Schools on Cumbria’s west coast will make up the initial and first follow-on projects, linking closely with the Energy CoastTM regeneration strategy. These areas include the only Cumbrian school with results below the GCSE floor targets and three of the four other schools involved in National Challenge arrangements. Further follow-on project phases have been identified in geographically coherent areas and prioritised in order of those with the greatest social and economic need and GCSE attainment levels.

It is likely that some of our existing post-16 provision in schools will become unsustainable in its current form over the next decade as a result of falling numbers. We are seeking to address this through BSF with increased levels of partnership working, greater sharing of resources and, using BSF investment, the provision of strategically located facilities, where appropriate. It is simply not possible in a county like Cumbria for every school to provide the full range of options, but our headteachers are keen to work together to ensure that, on an area basis, young people do have access to a broad post-16 curriculum.


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Initial feasibility work and costings have been undertaken by our strategic partner, Capita Symonds (CS), on the first project phase including condition and suitability assessments, desk top exercises for topography and ground conditions, the existence of any covenants or listed building status and whether there are any title or lease issues. Full site, CAD and utilities plans are also available for each site, and CS have also provided an assessment of the development potential for each site taking into account the various constraints. No substantial title or property issues have been raised which would impact upon our delivery timetable. Further work is required to fully clarify the two sample schemes and this will be undertaken by spring 2010.

This work indicates that the projects are affordable and deliverable within the broad £80m for the phase 1 cost envelope used to define project groups in our Expression of Interest.

No school is involved with an existing PFI provider, so that poses no issues. ICT connectivity and support are provided by CLEO. As part of a wider improvement to property management the council will be looking to a connected real-estate solution.

At this early stage it is envisaged that the estate changes for phase 1 projects may involve: Netherhall School – minor refurbishment of the community sports facilities but significant development of the remainder of the school which will reduce in size. Potential opportunities exist to develop cultural links to a new Hadrian’s Wall Heritage facility opposite the school and reconfigure arrangements with the adjacent rugby club.

New Workington – new build provision for a 1400 pupil school with a National Challenge Trust with St Joseph’s RC School as a potential associate partner. This new provision will replace the existing Stainburn and Southfield Schools. This and St Joseph’s will be linked closely with the new proposed leisure facilities being provided by Allerdale District Council.

Millom School – refurbishment including the provision of an all-through school together with a new community swimming pool to replace the current outdated facilities. Development of the existing arrangements with the primary sector into a hard federation.

Whitehaven School – remodelling to reduce the school size with the development of a Community Learning hub including the relocation of a public library, adult education, crèche and sports development and provision of 3G pitches with the local rugby league team.

Mayfield Special School – further development as a centre of expertise with building refurbishment.

West Cumbria Learning Centre Pupil Referral Unit – a new build on a relocated site as a centre of expertise.

It is likely that there will be at least two sites to be disposed of as a result of school organisational change. No work has yet been undertaken in terms of s77/106 approvals as this would be seen to prejudge the outcome of our statutory school organisation consultation. In view of the potential change to the falling profile of pupil numbers after 2020, future schools’ designs will incorporate some ‘future proofing’ by allowing extensions to be added at minimal disruption and cost.

The attached school chart indicates the pre and post BSF proposals for each school in phase 1 and 2.

Work is ongoing with partners through a Planning for Real exercise to determine the links between BSF and the provision of facilities, including culture and sports. We have undertaken detailed discussions with District Councils on the initial and first follow-on phases around their assessment of community need, and will enhance provision in line with that through BSF. We believe we will be able to assist out partners with the delivery of their capital projects through the Local Educational Partnership (LEP).

As a basis for the PE and sport requirements in West Cumbria we have the recently completed Sport England commissioned report ‘West Cumbria Sports Facility Analysis’. This will assist in determining the best location for particular specialist sports as ‘added value’ to the community and clubs from any BSF investment. The precise details will be included in our SfC following consultation with our partners and further work through the PE, sport and culture workstream.

3.2.3 Sustainability The council is fully committed to sustainability and was an active partner in establishing the Cumbria Climate Change Action Plan 2009-2014 through its work with the Cumbria Strategic Partnership. Our Local Area Agreement sets out targets for reducing CO2 emissions (National Indicator 186).

The council also adopted a Sustainable Design and Construction policy in July 2008 which applies both to new buildings and to refurbishment of existing buildings. The policy promotes the use of BREEAM as the environmental assessment tool to ensure that all the relevant factors are considered. The aim through BSF is to achieve BREEAM ‘Very Good’ standard as a minimum at both design and operation stages, although we will seek to achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating where practicable.

The policy ensures that sustainability principles will be addressed from the earliest concept stage, through the business case, budgeting, funding decisions and site selection, to detailed design and construction. Our target is that carbon emissions resulting from the operation of new buildings and stand alone extensions should achieve a minimum 10% improvement on the target set by the Building Regulations Part L for CO2 emissions (TER), through low energy design, use of renewable energy sources and combined heat and power. Materials and construction will minimise embodied carbon, support higher environmental specification and greater durability and increase use of re-used or recycled materials. Construction projects will minimise waste and maximise re-use and recycling during construction and


Cabinet Copydemolition, and we will provide new facilities for segregating and recycling waste effectively. We will utilise current best practice to minimise the use of water and to reduce the flow of water into drainage systems in both normal and flood conditions. Projects will seek to conserve and enhance the local environment and quality of life.

In addition the council recently approved a Sustainable Procurement Strategy containing a clear action plan and strong measurable commitment to considering and managing the impact it’s procurement has upon local communities and service users. This Strategy includes targets in relation to the economic, environmental, social and ethical sustainability of procurement and our work in this area has received wide external recognition.

Each of our BSF projects will be assessed to determine the most appropriate use of ‘green’ technologies, and we expect to see a range of measures implemented to ensure we achieve the 60% carbon reduction target. Designs will be expected to maximise, for example, solar gain, on-site energy generation, natural light, ventilation and heat sources. Where mechanical systems are unavoidable we will maximise the use of low-energy technologies, including the use of low-power ICT hardware.

Environmental education is already a feature in our secondary schools, with the well-established Education 21 Partnership coordinating the county’s approach to environmental learning. We expect that the introduction of further green technologies through BSF will also be a practical tool to further enhance that learning.

Schools will pursue sustainable development further through management and operational practice and teaching and learning supported by ICT so that young people understand its importance within and beyond the classroom, enabling them to make a positive contribution and develop healthy lifestyles.

3.2.4 Consultation and communicationThe council has in place a comprehensive communications strategy to ensure that schools, parents/carers, pupils and others are fully engaged, well informed, and have their views evaluated. The plan envisages communications that are tailored to the needs of the different stakeholders.

Initial consultation took place over the autumn 2009. A short article outlining some of the implications of BSF appeared in the ‘Your Cumbria’ magazine, delivered free to every household in the county. More detailed consultation took place in the west of the county, where the initial and first follow-on phase projects will be undertaken. This involved the distribution of 29,000 booklets setting out our broad proposals for all of the schools involved and providing various means of responding. At this time we developed the first phase of our web-site specifically to provide additional information about BSF. We also established three focus groups in the west during December 2009 aimed at receiving comments on our proposals in more detail.

The consultation process generated overall support. There was a general consensus of support for the overall programme and for the authority’s initial plans

for its first two projects. Media support has been positive with good coverage in the local papers and on the radio. No major issues have been raised which may risk a successful delivery of the overall programme. To engage students more generally we used the youth web site www.Wotson4u.com. We have taken account of these views, within the framework of our Strategy for Learning, when putting together our estates proposals. We believe we have produced an estates approach for the west that will continue to gain broad support. Meetings have taken place with school governing bodies in phase 1 to explain the programme, resource and decisions issues that will need to be considered by them over the next few years. Further consultation is planned as we progress through the programme at neighbourhood level in early 2010.

We further intend to consult with school stakeholders, and in particular, young people, during the next consultation exercise in early 2010 and throughout the programme. For the design of new facilities we will be using the Sorrell Foundation to assist. For stakeholder involvement with the workstreams, including PE, sport and culture see sections 3.1.6 and 3.5.1

It is likely that there will be some school organisation changes requiring statutory proposals before we undertake the Outline Business Case (OBC). We plan to complete any statutory process early in the autumn term 2010. In the Workington case, it is possible that a competition will be required, depending on the outcome of consultation. School organisation is discussed regularly with all stakeholders at a local and county level and current proposals have not caused any significant concern.

3.2.5 Project planning The programme is being controlled using the current best practice project management methodology, with document management control and versioning provision through MS Sharepoint, accessible by all project team members, both internal and external.

We have used the local authority standard Zurich Municipal STORM approach to identification and management of risk and issues. An initial risk management workshop was held in May 2009 and a risk register is now formally established. Risk updates are part of standard report to the Project Team and Project Board with regular reviews scheduled through the project lifecycle.

There are many risks associated with a programme of this size and scope and the authority is fully aware of the need to manage these closely. Having a dynamic and easily accessible risk register allows constant review of risk and mitigation activity.

Some of the key risks include:


Cabinet Copy

ID Title Probability ImpactCurrent Status

4Not Financially Affordable or Sustainable 5 4 Green

9Fail to deliver BSF as "bigger agenda" 4 3 Amber

12Difficulties with Statutory processes and Land Issues 4 2 Green

13 Standards Fall 3 3 Amber

16Impact on other Schools not in programme 3 2 Amber

19Lack of wider stakeholder engagement 4 3 Green

23Cross catchment issues are not adequately considered in placement planning

2 3 Green

24Influential Stakeholders do not agree with the vision 3 3 Green

31Impact of delays on other council / partnership priorities (regeneration, co-location etc)

6 3 Amber

33

Failure to develop and embed an understanding of ICT role in supporting 21st Century education and the ECM outcomes

2 3 Green

35Schools do not “sign up” to the ICT managed service 3 3 Amber

39Funding for off-site and on site works that are not supported by BSF e.g. highways infrastructure

3 3 Amber

Schools are aware of the implications and benefits of having an industry standard ICT provision through a Managed Service Provider (MSP) and have accepted the principle.

A Project Initiation Document (PID) is substantially complete including details of the governance arrangements, terms of reference, timelines, benefits realisation strategy and a project directory for all key members. The PID will be complete by February 2010 well in advance of any planned Remit Meeting.

Initially to develop the Readiness to Deliver document and baseline activities four core project groups with related workstreams were developed around the themes of education strategy (including ICT), estates planning, procurement and legal and project management, through a Project Team, involving a headteacher representative and the executive officer of the Cumbria Association of Secondary Heads. This has been supported by a West Heads Group as part of the

stakeholder engagement process. The new governance arrangements and workstream groups are shown in section 3.5.1.

3.3 Investment Strategy

3.3.1 Council commitment The Leader and Chief Executive of Cumbria County Council confirm that the authority: • accepts that DCSF and PfS will decide on the appropriateness of funding

arrangements, including that new-build schools will predominantly be PFI and refurbishment will be achieved through conventional capital funding

• understands that the default model for delivery of BSF is the establishment of a LEP unless otherwise agreed with DCSF and PfS

• is happy to procure an area-wide ICT managed service and to work with schools to secure their full participation in this service. We will develop a framework of required services and procure a panel of ICT providers. The county council will work with one of these providers to deliver an area-wide managed service. We will ensure that this is linked effectively to the innovative arrangements we are currently making so that all Cumbria’s schools have connectivity and services of the highest possible level

• has considered the implications for facilities management (FM) for schools procured through PFI and traditional routes. The county council embraces the principles within the LEP model whereby there is a stated desire to ensure that design and build schools do not have a second rate or weaker FM service and intends to utilise and develop current good practice in its support for schools which will receive capital grant

• has identified existing contractual arrangements that might impact on BSF procurement and is, indeed, intending to harness these, where appropriate, to deliver value for money solutions for its BSF programme

• is willing to accept PfS standard forms

The signatures of the Leader and Chief Executive of the county council are below.

Signature Signature

Jim Buchanan Jill Stannard Leader of the Council Chief Executive

3.4 Affordability

3.4.1 Balanced investment proposals


Cabinet CopyCumbria County Council has allocated resources from its budget to prepare the work plans for BSF. The project team and support described in 3.5.3 is funded from the council’s own resources in 2009-10. The council has made resources of £6m available from its capital and revenue budgets for 2010/11 to 2012/13 to support the project team and delivery of phase 1 of the programme. Capital provision will be funded through borrowing and schools’ formula capital whilst the revenue resources will come from council reserves.

Indicative funding and costing work has been undertaken by the council with its technical and financial advisers. This initial work has identified an indicative funding allocation through the FAM at the reconciliation date and that the currently proposed schemes are deliverable within that amount.

The council recognises that there are issues which might affect the initial affordability such as changing cost indices, emerging unexpected site costs and that this is an iterative process up until the completion of the OBC stage. It agrees to manage these and other risks and issues which may have an impact on cost and/or provision and agrees to provide additional funding from its capital and revenue budgets to support the programme should the need arise.

The council understands the likely lifecycle cost implications of a design and build school and is committed to the principles outlined in section 3.3.1. As the council’s proposals will generate capital receipts, these will be fed back into the programme. A further source of funding will be the availability of devolved formula capital allocated to specific schools.

In procuring an area-wide ICT-managed service, funding will be made available from current council and school budgets.

The council understands the expectation regarding LEP investment and has agreed funding for this over the initial three-year period.

3.4.2 Funding Cumbria County Council has developed a detailed financial plan of the resources which are required to fund the delivery of the BSF programme, through support from its external advisers, which indicates that the projects are currently affordable. Additional funding will be sought from earmarked capital receipts and other third party funding to support the programme, such as improved sustainability, fire protection through sprinklers, and new community facilities.

3.5 Resources and Capability

3.5.1 Governance

Initial governance arrangements relating to BSF in Cumbria were approved by Cabinet in July 2009. These arrangements were revised and approved in January 2010 to reflect the move to a different phase of delivery.

Whilst key decisions remain the responsibility of Cabinet, a Project Board has now been established and has met on a number of occasions. It is led by the Chief Executive as Project Owner and includes all of the Corporate Directors and the two statutory officers, plus the Head of Communications. The Corporate Director of Children’s Services is the Project Sponsor. A lead member is identified to join the Project Board in early 2010, along with the nominated PfS Project Director.

To manage the political interface, a cross party group of Members, chaired by the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, has been established and during late 2009 met on four occasions to consider ten top issues and to fully consider the full implications of this statement.

Workstreams have been re-aligned to take work forward with school senior leaders and stakeholders, using existing groups where they already exist:

Group

BSF Transformation Champions Group (Headteachers)Educational Transformation / Change Leadership14 - 19Inclusion


Cabinet CopyCommunication/Stakeholder, including Community and Corporate IntegrationICT Leadership ForumPE, Sport, Culture and ArtsTechnical and FinancialLegal and Procurement

Section 3.3.1 contains an undertaking relating to the council’s commitment to key aspects of the Government’s approach to BSF signed by the Council Leader and the Chief Executive.

3.5.2 Financial commitmentThe county council has developed a detailed financial plan of the resources which will be required to fund the delivery of the initial programme development work up to financial close in late 2012.

To support the Readiness to Deliver submission, approximately £0.4m of financial resources was also made available during the 2009/10 financial year. This resource has enabled completion of the preliminary work required to establish Cumbria’s educational and ICT vision, as well as to procure some specialist commercial support reducing the risk to the programme at a later date.

In addition, there is substantial input from a number of internal senior managers and specialists, covering areas such as school improvement, school organisation, SEN, finance, legal, community development, ECM/extended schools, and procurement. Mainstream and special schools entering the programme will be supported by a local transformation team and funding has been identified to embed schools’ transformation strategies into the SSfCs.

The council is committing £6m to support this programme through the next stages of development and implementation (ie for the three year period 2010/2011 to 2012/2013).

This includes the procurement of advice and guidance from external consultants to support the internal project team where sufficient relevant internal experience and capacity is currently unavailable. In addition, it will support schools’ engagement in the programme over the next three years and fund on site surveys.

3.5.3 Project team and supportA Skills Audit Review was undertaken in the spring of 2009 and this has informed the capacity building exercise undertaken by the council to put itself in a position to effectively deliver its BSF programme.

An experienced interim Project Director and an implementation team are currently in place including a programme manager, administration, project managers supported by finance, legal, property, procurement, communications, culture, sport and education resources supplemented by external advisers in education, ICT and finance. This capacity will be enhanced further to deliver the programme. The core project team is currently being developed, to include a project director, a programme manager, finance manager, leads for education (a potential for a seconded headteacher), estates, procurement, communications and ICT, in-house

and consultant financial, legal and technical and educational support. The Lead Member for Children’s Services has been identified as Design Champion.

All of the principal external advisers for technical, educational, legal and financial work are expected to be appointed using the PfS Framework during the first two months of 2010 in advance of any formal notification of entry into the national programme.

A programme support office is being established under the Programme Manager to support the programme and assist with the integration of the Academies and Primary Capital Programmes.

Using internal support from the extensive and well developed network of local service and community managers together with the Cumbria Sports Partnership, we will be able to supplement the skills and expertise within the core project team.

3.5.4 Corporate strategyThe Council Plan sets out the key outcomes the council is seeking to achieve for the people of Cumbria. Raising the aspirations and attainment of young people, as well as capitalising on the position schools play in the community, is fundamental to the council being able to deliver on its aspirations and achieving better outcomes for Cumbria.

We want to ensure that all our children have access to excellent schools in modern fit for purpose buildings; which provide high quality learning environments. We believe this will inspire children to increasingly higher levels of educational attainment – raising aspiration and ambition; and investing in the young people who are the future of our county.

BSF, as one of the council’s transformational programmes of work, would enable us to deliver this ambition; helping us address areas of underperformance as well as building on existing excellence. The improvements BSF would bring will strengthen the Energy CoastTM Programme and bring positive change to communities in many ways other than purely educational attainment, supporting regeneration within communities where it is needed.

It will also provide significant opportunities to deliver on the LA’s commitment to develop all schools which are the ‘heart’ of local communities, not just at secondary level. This investment, combined with other programmes such as Primary Capital Programme will enable us to facilitate on (school) site delivery of a range of the council’s services. It will be a catalyst to the development of other physical facilities for community use.

Cumbria County Council has substantial experience in large scale procurement and delivery of capital programmes and can demonstrate its ability to deliver BSF on time and on budget. The county council has considerable and appropriately focused resources to deploy in support of the programme. We have a proven track record of partnership working with external funding organisations, such as Sport England, the North-West Development Agency and the Big Lottery.


Cabinet CopyExamples include the £100m+ Academies Programme, the £140m Northern Relief Road in Carlisle, the £46m PFI project to build new fire stations and the £700m major programme involving waste disposal.

At present, the Council Plan and budget is currently being refreshed as part of the annual strategic planning cycle. The aims of the BSF programme clearly align with the emerging priorities that are being consulted on; and specific questions about investment in secondary school transformation have been posed to the public and our partners.

There is strategic alignment between the Council Plan, as our main policy document, the county’s Sustainable Community Strategy (2008 – 2028) and the CYPP. In addition, the programme aligns with the regional planning strategies, including the Energy CoastTM proposals.

3.6 Benefits Realisation

3.6.1 Working with the private and third sectorThe council has a proven track record of working successfully with both the private and the third sector. We do this through the Cumbria Strategic Partnership as well as through the direct relationships we have with voluntary groups and businesses. We believe the BSF programme would support the achievement of both these sectors’ goals – as expressed in the Sustainable Community Strategy and more specifically the CYPP. Proposals are being explored to seek additional private sector investment for improving sports facilities on school sites, such as 5 a-side football.

3.6.2 Joining up within the local authorityBSF is seen as a corporate programme delivering regeneration to the county and more specifically to the west coast area as part of BSF phases 1 and 2. There are opportunities, given the timescales for delivery and the establishment of the LEP, to coordinate investment in highways and environmental improvements to regenerate areas around schools where investment will take place. This can be further developed with our district council partners and registered social landlords to further enhance nearby housing estates.

Cumbria already has many examples of LA delivered or sponsored additional facilities on school sites, such as swimming pools, sports halls, libraries, children’s centres, pre-schools, community workspaces and table tennis/basket ball centres of excellence. The early planning for the schemes within our initial project has included serious consideration involving county council and district council colleagues of how these kind of opportunities can be also further exploited in Whitehaven, Workington, Millom and Maryport. We are also in contact with National Governing Bodies for Sport regarding the opportunities BSF will present for the provision of new sporting facilities.

In Cumbria we are always very conscious of how new developments can impact on existing services and infrastructure. All secondary schools in the county have School Travel Plans. These will be refined and further developed as part of the

planning process in relation to BSF projects. As is normal practice, Traffic Impact Assessments will also be routinely undertaken.

3.6.3 Quality of placeCumbria County Council is committed to creating higher quality environments. We want to ensure that all of the places we create contribute to providing everyone with a good quality of life. Our Council Plan 2009-2012 and the Cumbria Community Strategy 2008-2028 demonstrate our aspirations and priorities which are based on the following five themes:• safe, stronger and inclusive communities• health and well-being throughout life• a sustainable and prosperous economy• effective connections between people and places• world class environmental quality

The quality of place we have in mind for our BSF developments will offer innovative learning environments, impact positively in the areas of crime, health, community cohesion and climate change, and engender a greater sense of pride and belonging.

3.7 N/a


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