Agenda and draft minutes

To elect a Chair for the meeting.

RESOLVED – That Mrs Angela Cox be elected Chair for the duration of the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Richard Noake (Church of England representative)

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interest made at the meeting.

To consider the report of the Sufficiency and Participation Team, Children and Families Service, on a proposal to expand Benton Park Secondary School from a capacity of 1225 to 1500 students by increasing the admission number from 245 to 300 with effect from September 2021. The schools current SEN and 6th Form provision is unaffected by this proposal.

The report describes the proposal, brought forward to meet the local authority’s duty to ensure sufficiency of school places and the representations received during the four week formal consultation period 19^th November to 16^th December 2018.

The report seeks consideration of the response to the representations received and a recommendation to the Executive Board to assist in reaching a final decision on the proposal.

(Report attached)

The School Organisation Advisory Board considered a report by the Sufficiency and Participation Team regarding the outcome of a statutory notice on proposals to expand Benton Park Secondary School from a capacity of 1225 to 1500 students by increasing the admission number from 245 to 300 with effect from September 2021. The schools current SEN and 6^th Form provision would remain unaffected by the proposal.

The report described the proposal brought forward to meet the local authority’s duty to ensure sufficiency of school places and the representations received during the four week formal consultation period: 19^th November to 16^th December 2018.

The Board considered the proposals having regard to the following documents:

·  The report of the Legal Adviser to the Board

·  The report of the Sufficiency and Participation Team, Children and Families Service

·  The consultation booklet entitled “School Places Public Consultation – Proposal to permanently expand Benton Park School from September 2021”

·  Report of the Director of Children and Families to Executive Board 17^th October 2018 entitled “Outcome of consultation to permanently increase learning places at Benton Park School from 2021”.

·  An equality, diversity, cohesion and integration screening document associated with the proposals

·  The Notice publicising the consultation published 19^th November 2018 “A proposal to permanently expand Benton Park School, Harrogate Road, Rawdon, Leeds, LS19 6LX to create an additional 275 secondary school places with effect from 1^st September 2021

·  Written representations were received from two members of the public who were objecting to the proposal, with one further response being received containing comments on the proposal.

Mr D Crawley, Acting Lead for Sufficiency and Participation Team, Children & Families, attended the meeting together: Tim Pouncey (Chief Officer Resources and Strategy), Paul McGrath (Planning Manager), Ed Staveley (Project Officer – City Development) and Dave Stainsby (Site Development Group Engineer – City Development)

Also in attendance were School representatives:

Delia Martin (Head teacher), Claire Scaife (Director of HR, Safeguarding & Facilities) and Julian Clough (School Governor)

Mr Crawley addressed the proposals and highlighted the following matters in particular:

·  There continues to be an increasing need for secondary school places in the North West Leeds area with 6 forms of entry projected to be needed by 2023. .

·  The draft Site Allocation Plan indicates that there is a significant new house building planned across Leeds and within the Guiseley/ Rawdon area itself over the coming years which will increase school place demand even further.

·  Benton Park School is well located within this area to help support the projected increase and an increase of 55 places per year would contribute towards meeting the increasing level of demand for places in the wider North West area.

·  There are limited options available to expand other schools across the Aireborough area and previous expansions of several primary schools in this area required the authority to act now to ensure it met the statutory duty for providing sufficient school places.

·  The creation of 55 additional places each year at Benton Park School  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.