New £45m academy for pupils with extra needs
COUNCILLORS HAVE approved a £45m investment in specialist education provision for Leeds children who have social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.
The new learning places will replace the current ‘Behavioural, Emotional and Social Difficulties’ (BESD) provision and Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) provision, and will be delivered by Wellspring Academy Trust, the only provider of SEMH provision in the north of England rated as outstanding by Ofsted.
Leeds’s current Specialist Inclusion Centre for BESD pupils at Elmete Wood has been rated as inadequate by the education watchdog since 2014.
Under the new plans all the SEMH provision in Leeds will be delivered over four locations across the city, which are: Springwell East – the former East Leeds Family Learning Centre; Springwell South – the former Merlyn Rees high School site; Springwell North Leeds – a redevelopment of the Tinshill PRU Springwell Oakwood – the existing BESD provision at Oakwood Lane.
The investment to create a new way of providing SEMH education was agreed in principle by the council’s executive board in November 2015, it has now been approved that £40m is to be used to create three new purpose built learning facilities plus £5m which will be used for set up costs.
Councillor Lisa Mulherin, Leeds City Council’s executive member for children and families, said: “This hugely significant investment in world-class facilities, support and education for those young people in our city with social, emotional and mental health needs is long overdue.
“It will enable more young people’s needs to be met closer to home, and save them from having to travel out of the city to access the learning environment they need.
“This new specialist provision will radically improve the learning, support and outcomes for some of the city’s most vulnerable children, replacing old, unsuitable buildings with specially designed learning places, which are fit for the future.”