Issue - meetings

To consider the joint report of the Director of Children’s Services and the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods on the outcome of two competitions held to establish new primary schools in Harehills and South Leeds. The report makes a recommendation relating to the preferred bidders to run the new schools, a final decision for which must be made by no later than 20th October 2012.

Further to Minute No. 181, 4^th January 2012, the Director of Children’s Services and the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods submitted a joint report on the outcome of two competitions held to establish new primary schools in Harehills and South Leeds. The report outlined a recommendation relating to the preferred bidders to run the new schools, a final decision for which was required to be made by no later than 20th October 2012.

The Board noted that representations had been received from one organisation who had submitted a bid, but who had not been identified as one of the organisations recommended to run one of the schools. The representations were in relation to some perceived inaccuracies within the submitted Executive Board report.  Prior to discussing the matter, the Board was provided with details of the perceived inaccuracies and also provided with the accompanying responses from Children’s Services.

Members raised concerns regarding the increasing number of children starting school across the city and the pressures which as a result were being placed upon school places and education provision. In response it was suggested that Ward Members were invited to become further involved in the work which was ongoing to address this issue. 

Responding to an enquiry, the Board was provided with assurances regarding the proposal to close of the Stanley Road Household Waste Sorting Site, specifically in respect of the alternative provision which would be available to service users in the area.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That approval be given for the Co-Operative to be the party to open the new 420 place primary school with 26 place FTE nursery at Florence Street, Harehills, to open in September 2013 and to serve families in that area.

(b)  That approval be given for the The Learning Trust South Leeds to be the party to open the new 420 place school with a 26 place nursery on land at the former South Leeds Sports Centre, and to open in September 2014 and serve families in that area.

(c)  That the closure of the Stanley Road Household Waste Sorting Site be approved, and that agreement be given to the site’s incorporation into the Harehills school design (in accordance with section 3.10 of the submitted report).

(The matters referred to within this minute were not subject to Call In, as a decision was required within two months of the end of the ‘summary of bids’ notice period, which was no later than 20th October 2012. Therefore, due to the timescales involved, this matter was not subject to Call In)