Schools in Leeds ‘could face closure’ over building fears

Crumbling secondary schools in Leeds are in a “desperate” situation, senior executives have warned, seeking urgent meetings with the Secretary of State as the city faces a backlog of building repairs totalling £100m.
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Coun Jonathan Pryor, executive member for learning at Leeds City Council, has written to Damian Hinds calling for urgent action, warning three secondaries could face closure or a move to temporary accommodation if pleas are ignored.

With population increases, he said in a letter seen by the YEP, a significant number of new school places are needed alongside new buildings for crumbling secondaries.

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“Leeds schools are at breaking point,” he warned, revealing that meetings were first sought with the Education Secretary in September but that he had as yet received no response.

“If the points in this letter continue to be ignored by the Government, we may find ourselves in a position where schools in Leeds could face closure, or a move to temporary modular accommodation, on health and safety grounds.”

The condition of a number of schools in the city has worsened since the end of the Government’s repair programme in 2010, he said, claiming Leeds City Council also now receives around £260m less a year that it did nine years ago.

Calling for the Education Secretary to visit the three sites, he added: “The young people of Leeds deserve schools that are not falling down.”

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The original letter, circulated to local MPs, was submitted to the Department for Education at the start of the academic year.

Now, writing again to the Education Secretary in a letter which has been circulated to all of the city’s MPs as well as the Shadow Secretary of State for Education, Angela Rayner, he said: “My original letter was not made public out of the hope that we could work across the political divide, hoping that the educational needs of Leeds’ young people would transcend partisan difference. It would appear I was wrong.”

Citing rising attainment alongside a recent Ofsted rating of Outstanding awarded to Leeds City Council’s children’s services, the only city nationwide to receive this, he added: “It is clear that Leeds can deliver for its children but that we are being held back and let down by the Government.”

Three schools

Benton Park, Royds and Wetherby High Schools are all in a state of disrepair, Coun Pryor disclosed, seeking an urgent meeting with the Education Secretary.

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“I would like to draw your attention to the situation we are facing in Leeds with regard to the maintenance of our school buildings and three of them in particular,” Coun Pryor had written in the first letter. “These three schools urgently need completely rebuilding, at a cost of approximately £50m.

“Our overriding concern is obviously the health and safety and continued education of Leeds pupils,” he concluded. “I am sure you share our concerns.”

Coun Pryor said yesterday he had received no response.

In further details within the letter, he had raised “significant” challenges over an ageing building at Benton Park in Rawdon, which has over 1,300 students, amid failing concrete and structural supports.

At Wetherby High School, the letter detailed, the main block needed rebuilding, with an urgent need to replace curtain walling and windows.

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And at Royds High School, damaged by flooding in 2017, extensive roof repairs are needed, the letter revealed, alongside failing boilers.

Government response

A Department for Education spokesman said: “There are now 17,565 more school places in Leeds than there were in 2010.

“We provide School Condition Allocations to local authorities to invest in their schools for which they are responsible, including £6.7m for Leeds this year. In addition, all schools receive Devolved Formula Capital, with £1.5m allocated to maintained schools in Leeds this year.

“We have allocated £5.6 billion since 2015 to those responsible for maintaining and improving school buildings. At Budget, the Chancellor announce an additional £400m capital funding for schools to spend on capital projects to meet their own priorities.

“The Priority School Building programme is better value for money and rebuilding and refurbishing schools at a faster rate than under the previous Building Schools for the Future programme.”