Decision details

Outcome of consultation to establish a new specialist free school from September 2021.

Further to Minute No. 107, 25^th November 2019, the Director of Children and Families submitted a report presenting the outcome of the consultation exercise undertaken regarding a proposal to establish a new 150-place specialist free school for children and young people aged 4-16 at Rose Court, Buckingham Road, Headingley, and which sought permission to launch the competition stage of the free school presumption process in order to identify a preferred sponsor to run the new school.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the outcome of the consultation exercise undertaken on the proposal to establish a new 150-place specialist free school for children and young people aged 4-16 at Rose Court, Buckingham Road, Headingley, be noted;

(b)  That the commencement of a free school presumption process under the terms as set out in the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (section 6A), which allows the Local Authority to launch a competition seeking to identify a preferred sponsor to run the new free school, be approved;

(c)  That it be noted that the responsible officer for the implementation of such matters is the Head of Learning Systems.

The proposal would establish a new special 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.

Parents, all Leeds schools, Multi Academy Trusts (MATs), potential academy sponsors, local residents, ward members, MPs, Diocese, and other relevant stakeholders.