Decision details

Blanket approval was granted on 1 August 2011 by the then Cabinet Member for Prosperity to transfer School Sites to the relevant Academy Trusts once an Academy Order had been issued by the Secretary of State; the St Johns Wood Millennium Community Centre located on the school site falls outside this blanket approval as the community centre  has not previously been held by the Council for use by the school.

The building has now ceased to be used as a Community Centre and is therefore proposed to be leased to the Adelaide Academy Trust as part of the academy lease.

A scheme of works, funded by the Council (Children’s & Families) has been completed within the former community centre. This will facilitate the provision of additional Special Educational Needs places at the school.  The Local Authority is currently obliged to fund the provision of a certain number of Special Educational Needs places and these are presently provided out of the Borough.  Such provision is desirable in terms of locality and is also cost effective. Further works are to also be undertaken within the Sports Barn facility at the School Site to enable the Sports Barn be made available for out of school hours community use after completion of the academy lease. 

That  the St Johns Wood Millennium Community Centre, shown edged red on the plan attached to the report, be included as part of the site of the  St Johns Wood Special School within the academy lease to the Adelaide Academy Trust upon the conversion of the school to academy status.  The lease is substantially in the DfE model form of academy lease which provides for the grant of a term of 125 years at a peppercorn rent.