URL: https://sandwell.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=1127

Decision Maker: Executive Director Children and Education

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Purpose: Additional special school places are required in Sandwell for children with an Education, Health and Care Plan. The Meadows School agreed to provide a satellite centre for Post 16 at Connor Education Centre. As part of the reconfiguration the West Bromwich North Family Hub, the existing male toilets and kitchen facilities have been incorporated into the school’s accommodation, on the basis that the West Bromwich North Family Hub would remain closed. West Bromwich North Family Hub will however re-open to the public, and to enable re-opening the remaining toilet needs to be reconfigured to provide male, female and assisted toilets. The remaining kitchen needs to be refitted to provide suitable amenity space for staff. At The Meadows School new Post 16 Hub, during the recent refurbishment works a series of contract variations have resulted in additional costs being incurred. The Department for Education (DfE) has allocated additional capital funding to Local Authority’s to support the introduction of new special school places, High Needs Provision Capital Allocation (HNPCA). The proposed works will be funded from the Council’s HNPCA allocation as they are required to complete reconfiguration of the accommodation to provide additional school places. Connor Education Centre (a former Primary School) has been held in the Children and Education portfolio for a significant number of years. Since closing as a school, the building had been occupied by a private nursery, WBNFH and office space for the SEN and Inclusive Learning Teams, Inclusive Learning Services. Part of the building was reconfigured in 2022 as a temporary solution for Elm Tree Primary Academy to ensure the new school could open on time as the DfE were unable to deliver the new build until September 2023. In September 2023, following vacation by the Academy, this area was made available to Albright Education Centre to provide additional Alternative Provision places. Individual Cabinet member decision “The Meadows School - satellite centre for Post 16 Connor Centre refurbishment” dated 16 June 2025 authorised the reconfiguration of the remaining Inclusive Learning Services spaces for The Meadows School to provide additional Special School places at Post 16. Barnardo's, the council’s appointed provider for West Bromwich North Family Hub, no longer require office space at the site, but will continue to provide community outreach and support services from Connor Road. The office space will be used as drop-down space for council staff, and Barnardo’s staff when on site delivering community outreach and support. To achieve the most appropriate accommodation for The Meadows School, part of the West Bromwich North Family Hub accommodation has been included in the school’s accommodation. The West Bromwich North Family Hub has been temporarily closed and services provided from other family hubs in the area during the building works for The Meadows School. West Bromwich North Family Hub has one remaining toilet. For Barnardo’s to reopen and provide community services the remaining toilet needs to be reconfigured to provide male, female and assisted toilets. The remaining kitchen needs to be refitted to provide suitable amenity space for West Bromwich North Family Hub and council staff. Speller Metcalf is the appointed contractor for the works at Connor Education Centre. The contract will be extended to include the works at West Bromwich North Family Hub. The contract was awarded following a procurement exercise conducted through the Constructing West Midlands (CWM) framework. It is recommended that extension to the existing contract to include these minor works is more cost effective and timely to the council than undertaking a separate procurement exercise to complete the project. During the reconfiguration of The Connor Centre for the purposes of The Meadows School, six variations to the contract were required.

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Date of Decision: October 1, 2025