Nearly 1,000 Leeds school spaces to help tackle city-wide shortfall

Wilmott Dixon Construction Ltd has applied to Leeds City Council to build the facilities along with game areas, sports pitches and more at Dixons Trinity Chapeltown in Leopold Street. The school’s reception year saw its first intake in September and it it hoped it will grow to become a full ‘all-through’ primary and secondary school by 2023. At the start of the 2018/19 school year it plans to take in 112 Year Seven pupils and 60 new reception children. A planning statement issued by the builder reads: “The application proposals are a direct response to the demand for more school places in Leeds.” Earlier this month, the Yorkshire Evening Post reported that a total of 1,134 children did not get into their first choice of primary school in Leeds, with 279 missing out on any of their chosen schools. Planning documents with the application read that in the Roundhay Road area, which includes the Leeds Thomas Danby college catchment, there is a current shortfall of almost 50 primary places. Coun Lisa Mulherin, the council’s Executive Member for Children and Families, said that the authority will be bringing forward proposals to add more places in at both primary and secondary level in the coming months and years. The developer’s statement adds: “The proposal for Dixons Trinity to open an all-through free school offers a co-ordinated response to the area’s forecast need. Dixons Trinity [in Bradford] is the first outstanding secondary free school in the country and the choice of the Barack Road site, which has been purchased from Leeds City Council, presents an opportunity for regeneration and enhancement of local community facilities.” The plan involves the demolition of a vacant depot building and redevelopment of land in Leopold Street, Barrack Road and Roundhay Road to provide the new schools which could cater for 980 pupils, with dining facilities, an indoor hall, kitchen, library, studio space, music room, staff offices, meeting space, as well as outdoor play areas and multi-use game areas. BIG CONCERNS OVER SQUEEZE More than 1,000 pupils in Leeds missed out on their first choice of secondary school as the city continues to battle a squeeze on places amid a soaring population. Despite 112 more pupils being offered their first choice school in September than the previous year, there has been a slight dip in the overall percentage from 85 per cent to 82 per cent. However, Leeds City Council made 8,881 Year Seven offers this year, an overall increase of 426 – equivalent to an additional 14 classes – from 2017. There have been mounting concerns about a squeeze on school places.