Appendix 6: Climate change impact assessment
The purpose of this assessment is to help us understand the likely impacts of our decisions on the environment of North Yorkshire and on our aspiration to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2030, or as close to that date as possible. The intention is to mitigate negative effects and identify projects which will have positive effects.
This document should be completed in consultation with the supporting guidance. The final document will be published as part of the decision making process and should be written in Plain English.
If you have any additional queries which are not covered by the guidance please email climatechange@northyorks.gov.uk
Version 2: amended 11 August 2021
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Title of proposal |
School Organisation |
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Brief description of proposal |
Proposal to Amalgamate Catterick Garrison, Wavell Community Infant School and Wavell Community Junior School across the two school sites resulting in the technical closure of Wavell Community Junior School. |
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Directorate |
Children and Young Peoples’ Service |
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Service area |
Strategic Planning |
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Lead officer |
Andrew Dixon, Strategic Planning Manager |
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Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the impact assessment |
Mark Ashton, Strategic Planning Officer |
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Date impact assessment started |
24/0/2023 |
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Options appraisal Were any other options considered in trying to achieve the aim of this project? If so, please give brief details and explain why alternative options were not progressed.
Catterick Garrison, Wavell Community Infant School and Wavell Community Junior School are two separate, albeit federated, institutions. The Wavell Community Schools Federation’s governing body brings together the governance of two schools under one governing body.
An alternative option to the amalgamation proposal would be for the Wavell Community Schools Federation’s governing body to be disestablished from 7 April 2024 and for two newly constituted governing boards to be set up to govern the separated Junior and Infant schools from 8 April 2024.
The alternative option was not progressed because the good work of the Federation in bringing the two schools together would be lost.
The alternative option was not progressed because it is recognised that there can be a hiatus in children’s progress at times of transition between Key Stages. This is even more marked in infant and junior schools, when the transition between Key Stages 1 and 2 coincides with a transition between two different schools. It is considered that an amalgamated school would deliver a smoother transition between Key Stages and help to ensure that the good progress made by children at Key Stage 1 is maintained and built upon at Key Stage 2.
It is considered that learning and progress can be even better if the two schools come together as a single school. The expertise of staff currently in the schools could be better targeted across the full age range and across all key stages to raise standards, and the single school would have fully integrated arrangements for assessment of learning, including a single Ofsted inspection which would allow a judgement to be made on the provision for all children through the primary age range.
The Wavell Community Schools Federation’s governing board met on 20 April 2023 and, after careful consideration, asked the Local Authority to consult on a proposal to amalgamate the two schools. The governing board has made the request because they are satisfied that the amalgamation will benefit pupils by building on the work of the Federation.
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What impact will this proposal have on council budgets? Will it be cost neutral, have increased cost or reduce costs?
The implications for revenue and capital funding were set out in the report to Executive Members on 30 May 2023.
Capital Position: No capital works are needed for this proposal. The buildings are already connected for pupils by a corridor and there is a single reception point for parents.
Revenue Position: School budgets are funded largely by pupil numbers so amalgamating the schools would not lead to an increase in revenue funding. The combined revenue funding would be smaller because the lump-sum would cease for the Junior School on amalgamation, although transitional funding protection arrangements allow for both lump-sums to be retained from the point of amalgamation for the remainder of the financial year that amalgamation takes place.
Based on the amalgamation taking effect on 8 April 2024, the table below shows the retention of lump sums for that financial year and the amalgamated school retaining 85% of their lump sums for the financial year 2025/26.
Figures may change as a consequence of any changes in DfE’s National Funding Formula.
Any annual savings to the Dedicated Schools Grant arising from the closure, if approved, would remain within the ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant as part of the funding for all schools. Any surplus revenue or capital balances in the event of a school closure would be allocated in line with the Closing School Accounting Policy.
Where in the funding period, a school has been established or is subject to a prescribed alteration as a result of the closure of a school, a local authority may add an amount to the budget share of the new or enlarged school to reflect all or part of the unspent budget share, including any surplus carried over from previous funding periods, of the closing school for the funding period in which it closes.
Transport costs Due to the proximity of the two schools, there are unlikely to be significant variance in the transport costs compared to current expenditure. Eligibility for Home to School Transport would be assessed against the current legislation.
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How will this proposal impact on the environment?
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Positive impact (Place a X in the box below where relevant) |
No impact (Place a X in the box below where relevant) |
Negative impact (Place a X in the box below where relevant) |
Explain why will it have this effect and over what timescale?
Where possible/relevant please include: · Changes over and above business as usual · Evidence or measurement of effect · Figures for CO2e · Links to relevant documents |
Explain how you plan to mitigate any negative impacts.
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Explain how you plan to improve any positive outcomes as far as possible. |
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Minimise greenhouse gas emissions e.g. reducing emissions from travel, increasing energy efficiencies etc.
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Emissions from travel |
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X |
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The amalgamation of the two schools will take place across the existing two adjacent school buildings, on the existing adjacent site. Therefore travel patterns pupils will follow in the amalgamated would be very similar, if not the same, to their existing travel patterns in the separate junior and infant schools.
There has been a reduction in pupils in Catterick in recent years and there is forecast to be a further reduction in pupils. This might slightly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from travel, since there will be slightly less pupils travelling to Wavell School, though they will be travelling in the same way.
The issue of school transport is difficult to analyse as parental preference and parental behaviour plays a large role in the level of emissions from travel. For example, even schools with a very small catchment area would have a high carbon footprint if the majority of parents chose to drive their children to school either at their catchment school or by preference to another school further afield. Many schools operate travel plans which encourage low carbon transport options such as walking and cycling.
The Wavell schools serve predominantly military families living with the Hipswell area, which is in the northern part of Catterick Garrison. Many pupils under 8 years of age living within the Wavell catchment area would be within the 2 mile walking distance from the amalgamated school. And many primary pupils aged 8 and over within catchment would be within the 3 miles walking distance for children over 8.
Across the rest of the catchment area, for pupils in catchment under 8 living beyond 2 miles from school, and pupils over 8 living beyond 3 miles, home to school transport would be provided where appropriate in line with legislation. In practice there will be a small number of pupils living to the north of Catterick Garrison. |
Where possible Integrated Passenger transport will choose vehicles and routes to minimise traffic. The amalgamated school will be encouraged and supported to develop a sustainable travel plan.
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Schools will continue to encourage sustainable methods of transport where they are safe and possible. For example, by encouraging lift sharing, walking to school as part of developing their travel plans. |
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Emissions from construction |
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X |
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N/A No capital works are needed for this proposal. The buildings are already connected for pupils by a corridor and there is a single reception point for parents.
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N/A |
N/A |
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Emissions from running of buildings |
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X |
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The proposal is structural change rather than a building change. The amalgamation will take place across the existing school buildings, on the existing site. The school buildings are already connected. Even though there has been a reduction in pupils in recent years and there is forecast to be a further reduction in pupils, this will not effect savings on greenhouse gas emissions savings on the school buildings, since they will operate in a very similar, if not the same way.
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Emissions from data storage |
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X |
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The amalgamation will take place across the existing school buildings, which already share data storage, and the data storage for these two connected school buildings will be similar in the single primary school going forward. |
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Other |
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Minimise waste: Reduce, reuse, recycle and compost e.g. reducing use of single use plastic |
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X |
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Wavell pupils are encouraged to recycle and the reduction of waste is promoted to pupils in both the Infant and the Junior school. However, the Junior School’s consumption of resources will not cease due to the Wavell Junior School pupils being accommodated in the amalgamated school. |
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Reduce water consumption |
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X |
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The amalgamation will take place across the two existing school buildings. Therefore the water consumption required to operate the amalgamated school as an establishment, and also to hydrate its pupils, would be similar and therefore would not be removed from the NYC carbon footprint. |
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Minimise pollution (including air, land, water, light and noise)
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X |
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N/A |
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Ensure resilience to the effects of climate change e.g. reducing flood risk, mitigating effects of drier, hotter summers |
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X |
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N/A |
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Enhance conservation and wildlife
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X |
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N/A |
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Safeguard the distinctive characteristics, features and special qualities of North Yorkshire’s landscape
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X |
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N/A |
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Other (please state below)
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Are there any recognised good practice environmental standards in relation to this proposal? If so, please detail how this proposal meets those standards. |
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N/A
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Summary Summarise the findings of your impact assessment, including impacts, the recommendation in relation to addressing impacts, including any legal advice, and next steps. This summary should be used as part of the report to the decision maker:
This proposal has neither positive nor negative environmental impacts. The proposal is a strategic change across two existing school buildings which will be used in a similar way to the way they are operated currently. The impacts in energy usage associated with a whole establishment ceasing to be used as two separate schools would be negligible. Because it is a strategic rather than a building change, the proposal would not achieve significant reductions in heating, lighting and water usage. Equally, there is likely to be a neutral impact associated with use of vehicles to transport the pupils to and from school. Ultimately there is an overriding consideration in this proposal to provide the best outcome for the education of children in the local area and no other educationally sustainable option has been identified.
The school site is owned by the Ministry of Defence school and buildings are owned by North Yorkshire Council. Any decisions about future modifications to the buildings would need to take regard of the NYC Climate Change policy.
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Sign off section
This climate change impact assessment was completed by: Mark Ashton
Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature): Amanda Newbold
Date: 22/07/2023
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