Agenda item

To consider the joint report of the Director of Children and Families and the Director of City Development providing information on the need for additional secondary school places across the city for delivery by September 2020, and which seeks approval regarding authority to spend and to incur a total expenditure of £7,595,000 to deliver both bulge projects at Cockburn Academy and Leeds City Academy for September 2020.

The Director of Children and Families and the Director of City Development submitted a report providing information on the need for additional secondary school places across the city for delivery by September 2020, and which sought approval regarding authority to spend and to incur a total expenditure of £7,595,000 to deliver projects at both Cockburn Academy and Leeds City Academy for September 2020 to address specific demographic growth pressures in those respective areas.

A Member raised concerns relating to the proposals within the submitted report regarding Cockburn Academy, with specific reference to the £6,835,000 capital expenditure proposed for that one school, indicated the potential for the matter to be ‘Called In’ which would require consideration by Scrutiny, and made an enquiry regarding any previous funding which had been provided to the Cockburn Multi Academy Trust.  Responding to the concerns raised, the Board discussed and received further information regarding:-

·  The delayed delivery of the Laurence Calvert Free School and the impact of this upon school places in the area, with Members receiving an update on the current position regarding the continued dialogue taking place with Government in relation to the delivery of this Free School;

·  Further detail was provided on how the proposed expenditure would be used, which included addressing the historical capacity issues at the school and the required adaptation of the current on site infrastructure, whilst also ensuring the delivery of appropriate facilities – with an offer that further detail could be provided to the Member in question, if required;

·  In terms of timescales, it was confirmed that the 60 additional places proposed to be created at Cockburn Academy to address that bulge cohort would remain at the school until those 60 pupils had completed Year 11;

·  Members also discussed the broader issue of appropriate resource being provided to the Local Authority for the delivery of further school places across the city to enable levels of demand to be met, with it being highlighted that further consideration and discussion of such matters would be welcomed.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the additional secondary places which are required in order to reduce the amount of children being allocated a school place out of area, be noted;

(b)  That the necessary authority to spend be approved, together with approval also being given to incur expenditure of £6,835,000 from Capital Scheme number 33176/BGE/CBN to deliver the works associated with a 60 place ‘bulge’ at Cockburn Academy for September 2020;

(c)  That the proposal for the freehold transfer of the land identified within the submitted report, which forms part of the former South Leeds Golf Course to Cockburn Multi Academy Trust be approved, to allow the delivery of the sports field provision required as part of the proposals as detailed within paragraph 3.1.4 of the submitted report;

(d)  That the necessary authority to spend be approved, together with approval also being given to incur expenditure of £760,000 from Capital Scheme number 33176/BGE/LCA to deliver the works associated with a 60 place ‘bulge’ at Leeds City Academy which are being delivered by the Local Education Partnership (LEP) for September 2020;

(e)  That the programme dates, as detailed in the submitted report, in relation to the implementation of these resolutions, which represent the critical path for project success and must be adhered to where possible, be noted; 

(f)  That it be noted that the officer responsible for the implementation of such matters is the Head of Service Learning Systems in the Children’s and Families directorate.

(Under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.5, Councillor A Carter required it to be recorded that he abstained from voting on the decisions referred to within this minute)