Decision details

Acquisition of Rose Court site to establish a new special free school, on a 125 year peppercorn lease to the identified sponsor Trust.

The Director of Children and Families and the Director of City Development submitted a joint report which set out details of a proposal brought forward to meet the local authority’s duty to ensure a sufficiency of learning places including provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Specifically, the report detailed the proposal to purchase Rose Court (the former Girls Grammar School site) to deliver a new special free school from September 2021.

A Member enquired whether this proposal for the Rose Court site together with other actions being taken regarding SEND provision would mean that the proposal for the Elmete Wood site (Minute No. 108 refers) would not be required. In response, the rising demand for Education Health and Care Plans and SEND provision was highlighted, and it was confirmed that the capacity which would be provided by both proposals was deemed to be necessary, and that it would enable the Authority to keep pace with demand and would look to provide parents and young people with an element of choice. 

Following the consideration of Appendix 1 to the submitted report, designated as being exempt from publication under the provisions of Access to Information Procedure Rule 10.4(3), which was considered in private at the conclusion of the meeting, it was

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the proposal for the Council to enter into draft Heads of Terms for the purchase of Rose Court from The Grammar School at Leeds, as set out in exempt Appendix 1 to the submitted report, be approved;

(b)  That the necessary authority be delegated to the Director of City Development, to enable the Director, with the concurrence of the Executive Member for Resources and the Executive Member Learning, Skills and Employment to agree the final terms of the purchase;

(c)  That it be noted that a public consultation exercise on the proposal to open a new special free school on the Rose Court site through the free school presumption route, will be required, which will be delivered by the Sufficiency and Participation Team, with it also being noted that a report will be submitted to a future Executive Board detailing the outcome of that consultation process.

The proposal would establish a new school under the free school presumption process, in accordance with the requirements of section 6a of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 and the guidance set out in ‘The free school presumption departmental advice for local authorities and new school proposers’ (May 2018). The legislation that relates to this guidance includes The Education Act 2011, The Educations and Inspections Act 2006 and The Academies Act 2010.

All parents with a child attending a SILC, parent support groups, all Leeds schools and SILCs, Multi Academy Trusts (MATs), local residents, all ward members, MPs, Diocese, and other relevant stakeholders will be consulted on the proposal.