Agenda item

Item No

5.

School to Pool transport

5.1

The report sought approval to commission a new School to Pool framework contract, from September 2022 to August 2026, at an estimated value of £230k per annum; to provide a transport service to the council for the carriage of children to and from their school to a swimming pool for swimming lessons.

5.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Education, Children and Families Urgency Sub-Committee:-

(i) agrees to continue to commission school to pool services and does so by procuring a new school-to-pool framework contract for a period of four years.

5.3

Reasons for Decision

5.3.1

5.3.2

5.3.3

The current arrangements are due to expire, and if the Council is to continue to make this service available to schools, new arrangements will be required from September 2022.

There is no legal requirement for the Council to provide this service. It is a fully traded service that the service chooses to offer to schools to support their legal obligations under part 6 of the Education Act 2002, Education (National Curriculum) (Attainment Targets and Programmes of Study) (England) Order 2013/2232 and the National Curriculum in England, Framework Document, to deliver swimming to pupils by the end of Key Stage 2. School swimming also contributes to the Council’s One Year Plan ambitions, to support young people in Sheffield to enable them to develop and flourish; to provide access to a wide range of educational opportunities for young people to achieve their full potential; to support Covid recovery for young people.

It was recommended that the council procures a new school-to pool contract framework contract for a period of four years because:

1. The market for the contract is limited so it is hoped that a four-year term will      attract multiple external suppliers.
2. It will provide the service with opportunities to run multiple competitions throughout the life of the contract i.e if the service uses a new pool, the timetable changes.
3. It will provide the service with the right to withdraw from the contract i.e. no longer require transport for a certain pool.
4. The price for transport would be cheaper per run than a school sourcing their own private hire, meaning schools can prioritise buying swimming to meet the needs of their pupils.

5.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

5.4.1

5.4.2

In house delivery with the Council’s Transport Service was considered. This was rejected because the service does not have the required high passenger capacity coaches and is not able to provide coaches during their peak times at the beginning and end of the school day.

Schools could source their own transport as private hire. However this would be at a higher cost per run and therefore have a direct impact on the number of swimming lessons schools can purchase. There would also be Climate implications, with a risk of multiple vehicles from multiple companies travelling into and around the Clean Air Zone.