Report Author: Elizabeth Richards Tel: 87235 Report of Director of Children and Families Report to Executive Board Date: 24 June
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Report author: Elizabeth Richards Tel: 87235 Report of Director of Children and Families Report to Executive Board Date: 24 June 2020 Subject: Outcome of consultation and request to approve funding to permanently increase learning places at Leeds West Academy from September 2022 Are specific electoral wards affected? Yes No If yes, name(s) of ward(s): Bramley & Stanningley Has consultation been carried out? Yes No Are there implications for equality and diversity and cohesion and Yes No integration? Will the decision be open for call-in? Yes No Does the report contain confidential or exempt information? Yes No If relevant, access to information procedure rule number: Appendix number: Summary 1. Main issues This report contains details of a proposal brought forward by The White Rose Academies Trustees, working in partnership with Leeds City Council, to meet the local authority’s duty to ensure sufficiency of school places. The changes that are proposed form prescribed alterations under Department for Education advice for academy trusts, Making Significant Changes to an Open Academy (November 2019). For prescribed alterations for maintained schools the Local Authority would be the decision maker, but for expansions relating to Academies the Trust Board is the decision maker with regards to the proposal. However, as the scheme is being funded by the Local Authority, Executive Board would need to grant provisional approval for authority to spend (ATS) to deliver the proposed permanent expansion at Leeds West Academy. A consultation on a proposal to expand Leeds West Academy from a capacity of 1200 to 1500 students by increasing the admission number in year 7 from 240 to 300 with effect from September 2022 took place between 27 January and 1 March 2020. A total of 87 consultation responses were received of which 35.5% either strongly or somewhat supported the proposal. 60% strongly opposed or somewhat opposed the proposal and 4.5% neither supported nor opposed the proposal. Further details about the responses and issues identified by stakeholders and respondents during the consultation period are detailed in the main body of this report. Following the consultation period the White Rose Academies Trust Board met on 14 May 2020 to consider the outcome of the consultation that had taken place and approved the proposal to expand the school. 2. Best Council Plan Implications (see the latest version of the Best Council Plan) This proposal offers good value for money through its capacity to support achievement of the Best Council Plan outcome that states ‘we want everyone in Leeds to do well at all levels of learning and have the skills they need for life’. This proposal is being brought forward to meet the LA’s statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient school places for all the children and young people in Leeds. Providing places close to where children live allows improved accessibility to local and desirable school places, is an efficient use of resources and reduces the risk of non-attendance. This proposal contributes to the city’s aspiration to be the best council, the best city in which to grow up and a child friendly city. The delivery of pupil places through the Learning Places Programme is one of the baseline entitlements of a child friendly city. Providing additional good quality school places in an already established school, in an area where demand for places is increasing, will contribute towards the achievement of the Child Friendly City aim of ‘improving educational attainment and closing achievement gaps for children and young people vulnerable to poor learning outcomes’. In turn, by helping young people into adulthood, to develop life skills, this proposal provides underlying support for the council’s ambition to produce a strong economy and a compassionate city. A good quality school place also contributes towards delivery of targets within the Children and Young People’s Plan such as our obsession to improve achievement, attainment and attendance at school. 3. Resource Implications The funding provided by Central Government for this size of expansion is approximately £5.269m, however, early feasibility indicates the final cost is likely to be lower than this amount. The construction cost estimate of the proposed scheme will be funded from the Learning Places Programme, primarily through Basic Need Grant. However, the precise funding package would be confirmed at the design freeze stage, and detailed in the relevant Design and Cost report (DCR). The proposed scheme would be subject to planning permission which would need to be granted prior to the commencement of construction works and would be subject to relevant stakeholder consultation. Ahead of the proposed permanent expansion, some works are required at the academy to support a bulge of 2FE for the academic year 2020/21. Should approval be given for authority to spend with regards to the permanent expansion, these works of £110k will form part of the permanent solution. Recommendations Executive Board is requested to; a) Note the outcome of consultation on the proposal to permanently expand Leeds West Academy from a capacity of 1200 to 1500 students by increasing the admission number in year 7 from 240 to 300 with effect from September 2022. b) Grant provisional approval for authority to spend (ATS) £5.269m to deliver the proposed permanent expansion at Leeds West Academy. Note that early feasibility indicates the final cost is likely to be lower than this amount. c) Note that implementation of the proposals is subject to funding being agreed based on the outcome of further detailed design work and planning applications as indicated at section 4.4 of this report and that the proposal has been brought forward in time for places to be delivered for 2022. d) Note the responsible officer for implementation of the capital budget is the Head of Learning Systems; and e) Note that the White Rose Academies Trustees intend to self-deliver the build scheme. 1. Purpose of this report 1.1 This report contains details of a proposal brought forward to meet the Local Authority’s duty to ensure a sufficiency of school places, which supports the achievement of the Best Council priority to improve educational attainment and close achievement gaps. This report describes the outcome of a consultation regarding a proposal to expand secondary school provision at Leeds West Academy and seeks a decision to fund delivery of a scheme to create the additional learning places required. 2. Background information 2.1 The West (secondary planning) area referred to in this report includes the following secondary schools/academies (Co-op Academy Priesthorpe, Crawshaw Academy, Dixon’s Unity Academy, Leeds West Academy, Pudsey Grangefield School and The Farnley Academy). 2.2 The increase in the birth rate over the last decade in Leeds, which prompted the need to embark on a programme of primary provision expansion, is now beginning to feed through into the secondary sector with demand anticipated to grow markedly across most parts of the city until at least 2023-24. Current demographic data suggests that up to an additional 33 forms of entry (FE) of year 7 capacity may be required across the city over future years, with up to 5FE of additional year 7 capacity needed across the West of Leeds. 2.3 Ongoing discussions with schools across the West have established that permanent expansion of existing schools is the preferred approach to meet all of the additional mainstream need in this area. 2.4 Over the last few years a number of secondary schools in the West have admitted additional pupils, above their Published Admission Number (PAN), in response to a rising demand for year 7 places. As the number of secondary-aged students living in the West is expected to increase further over future years, additional permanent places are now required to address the growing need. 2.5 The proposal to expand Leeds West Academy has been developed through discussions between Leeds City Council, The White Rose Academies Trustees and the principal of Leeds West Academy. The proposal is part of a planned approach to address future demand for places in West Leeds and it is anticipated that plans to progress expansions of other local schools will be brought forward in the near future. 2.6 The trustee’s consultation on the proposal took place between 27 January and 1 March 2020 to seek the views of parents, local residents and other stakeholders. To maximise stakeholder engagement a variety of consultation methods were used, including email communications and an online survey. Informal drop-in sessions were also held at Leeds West Academy (for staff, parents/carers, residents and other interested stakeholders) which offered attendees an opportunity to discuss the proposal with the trustees and school leadership team of Leeds West Academy as well as Leeds City Council representatives. 5,000 leaflets advertising the consultation were delivered to residents in the close vicinity of Leeds West Academy. Details of the consultation and drop in sessions were also advertised in The Squeeker which is delivered to homes across West Leeds and in the West Leeds Dispatch (an online distribution). The academy informed parents and carers of existing pupils in writing. Details about the consultation were sent via email to primary and secondary schools in the area to share with their parents and communities. Information was also shared via email with local ward members, MP’s and other stakeholders. Information was available via the academy’s website, Leeds City Council website and through various social media platforms. A targeted Facebook advertising campaign was also undertaken to reach people living within postcode areas located across West Leeds. 3. Main issues 3.1 There is an identified need for additional secondary places in the West area of Leeds to meet anticipated demand over future years.