Agenda item

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

Members considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services regarding the Academy Development Programme for the City of London Academies Trust and the following points were made.

·         The Director of Academy Development noted that three academies had joined the Trust in September 2017 and a further two were expected to join prior to Christmas 2017 – Newham Collegiate Sixth and Highbury Grove.

·         The Director of Academy Development next provided Members with a capital build update. He noted that the contractor for Galleywall Primary had been underperforming but that the issues had been addressed at present. The planning application for the City of London Primary Academy Islington would be submitted to Planning Committee in Islington on 5 December 2017 and the City of London on 12 December 2017. The Director noted that the application involved a 14-storey residential building plus school on a constrained site, and in planning terms the exceptional benefit of the proposal was clear.

·         The Chairman referenced the expansion of the City of London Academy Trust and took the opportunity to note that the Sponsor and Trust’s relationship with the City’s co-sponsored academies would benefit with a review.

RESOLVED, that Members

·         Note three City academies opened in September 2017, increasing the number of sole sponsored academies from three to six.

·         Note the progress being made on two further two academies will be joining City of London Academies Trust by the end of the calendar year, bringing the total of sole sponsored academies to eight.

·      Note the progress of the capital programmes for these academies.