ASSESSMENT

We can, if required, assess every school site across a district to identify the potential for surplus land. We do this by preparing a District Audit of schools using a range of specialist data (for example PAN and NOR information, future estimates of pupil numbers and measurement of site areas, playing fields, etc, in accordance with DCSF guidance). This will flag up surpluses, either at individual school sites or across groupings of school sites where the potential exists for some re-organisation.

On a day-to-day basis, we work with individual schools at a local level, assessing their sites and buildings with a view to exposing surpluses that could be turned into funding for projects.

Having established a potential surplus, we then move into the two-stage feasibility process, as follows:

INITIAL FEASIBILITY

• An initial assessment of a school site/s could include:
• Meeting with the head and governors to learn about school operations and difficulties
• Liaising with LEA and area education officers
• Assessment in terms of capacity, projected pupil demographics and site areas in accordance with current DCSF guidance
• Understanding of a school's immediate and longer term needs and objectives Consideration of the site's development potential in relation to local plan policies and locational influences
• Preparation of initial development options / plans and explaining the impact on the school
• Consideration of timetable, front end costs and next steps

DETAILED FEASIBILITY

This may follow as a development of the initial feasibility study and could include:

• More detailed assessment of options for new school facilities
• Further detail on costs for new school buildings
• Initial master plan options for development
• Detailed valuation of development land and the "cost to value" equation that will identify a surplus / shortfall in relation to funding the proposals
• Detailed report on planning
• Detailed consideration of stakeholder interest / involvement
• Detailed consideration of timetable and costs
• Next steps / plan of action / options for delivery