Primary Capital Programme (PCP)

In his 2005 budget statement, the Prime Minister (then Chancellor), Gordon Brown, set out ambitious plans for a new long-term strategic capital investment programme for primary schools. The Government pledged an initial £1,150 million extra resources for this programme from 2008 to 2011, and committed to continue that level of investment for 15 years in total, subject to future public spending decisions.

The aims of the programme are to replace or close 20 per cent of the worst condition primary schools and to refurbish 50 per cent. The PCP will be very different to Building Schools for the Future (BSF). It is much smaller in scale and is rolled out to all authorities on a 'drip feed' approach in contrast to the BSF 'big bang' approach where funding is allocated in waves.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) issued guidance for the PCP on the 6 December 2007, in which they asked all local authorities to submit a Strategy for Change by 16 June 2008.

Plymouth already had a primary strategy, known as the School Implementation Plan (SIP), that was developed through a consultation known as Ideas for Change (IfC). Although the 15-year strategy incorporated all secondary, special and nursery schools, and included children’s centres, the focus of the SIP was around the primary sector where the worst condition and the highest number of surplus places existed.

However, there has been considerable change since the SIP was adopted in June 2005. Central Government guidance on children’s centres, extended schools, raising standards, Every Child Matters (ECM), diversity and personalised learning has been published and the Education and Inspections Act 2006 has become law. As a consequence the SIP did not address the changing role of the Authority as a commissioner of services and insufficient attention was given to partners delivering education and their strategies for change. Although the SIP considered city growth as it was defined in 2005, this agenda has also changed as the Local Development Framework (LDF) has been developed.

The Council has also changed. At the time the SIP was adopted the Council's position on the ECM agenda was at an early stage and the Department for Children’s Services and the Children’s Trust did not exist. The LDF and Plymouth’s Local Economic Strategy were also in their infancy.

As a consequence, the SIP was due for revision; pulling together various strategies into one over arching document, with further consultation with partners, schools, parents and children. A group of forward thinking primary headteachers were also brought together as a Primary Steering Group, meeting with the Local Authority to consider the implications for the future and to manage the expectations of the programme.

The revised strategy addresses:

• City growth, in certain areas of the city
• The increase in the birth rate
• Diversity of schools, including trust schools, voluntary aided and independent schools
• Integration of the children’s centres, ECM, early years and extended schools, and inclusion strategies
• The transformation agenda including raising standards and personalised learning

In November 2009, the DCSF approved the strategy, subject to modification. The strategy was reviewed and resubmitted in February 2009. On 3 March 2009, Plymouth's Primary Strategy for Change was fully approved, confirming the funding for 2009 to 2010 and 2010 to 2011, and setting the strategical direction for future Primary Capital Programme investment for the next 14 years.

Primary Strategy for Change [53.8KB]

Plymouth City Council Primary Strategy for Change [1.65MB]

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