Report on the Proposal to Replace Myers Grove and Wisewood Secondary Schools with New Schools

Report of the Acting Director, Children and Young People to the Cabinet meeting on 30th January 2008.

 

This is the final report in the decision making process on the proposal to close Myers Grove and Wisewood Secondary Schools, replacing them with a new Foundation School. The Council has already consulted with interested parties and arrived at firm proposals, which were published on 26th November 2007, alongside proposals from a group of local parents and Governors to open and run the new Foundation School. The Council is fully supportive of the new school. Although the 300 post-16 places are more than the original specification, the Council is reassured that this is what local people want, will be similar in scope to the original proposal for a 14-19 Enterprise Centre, largely targeted at meeting unmet need, and will offer something new to complement other post-16 provision in the city. The representations received are all concerning issues familiar from the original consultation and therefore offer no reason to alter the already agreed course. The report therefore recommends that the proposals be approved, subject to the approval of Sheffield’s bid to Wave 4 of the Government’s Building Schools for the Future programme, and notwithstanding the outcome of the continuing legal action.