Update on Kings Leadership Academy Wavertree
Parliament has been dissolved until after the general election and I am no longer an MP.15 May 2024
Following approval of the DfE’s planning application, I
held a roundtable meeting last week with senior officials from Liverpool City
Council, the Department for Education and the Great Schools Trust as part of my efforts to help get Kings
Leadership Academy Wavertree open as soon as possible.Our discussion was constructive, but it was unfortunately clear that there is still a significant amount of work and investment required before the buildings and surrounding site are in a condition to host a school which is, above all else, safe for our young people who attend. These issues mean that the school will not be able to open until September 2025 at the earliest.
I again raised questions as to why, when it was clear that the project to build the school was at such an early stage, did the DfE authorise Liverpool City Council to add the school to the admissions options for September 2024. It's this which has left parents and children feeling let down and in some cases being sent to a school they did not choose and had never visited. The DfE have assured me this will be investigated and I will receive answers.
In response to my representations, the DfE and Great Schools Trust have agreed to investigate if they can take a small Year 8 intake alongside a full Year 7 intake to accommodate those children most severely impacted by the delays in opening the school once the school is officially open.
The situation with secondary school places in Liverpool is not acceptable and particularly felt for children in Liverpool Wavertree. The last 14 years has seen a lack of investment in schools by the Tories, hundreds of children in our city are now being placed in a school they did not choose. We need a General Election as soon as possible to win a better future for our young people.
The DfE and Liverpool City Council have indicated they will issue a joint statement to parents shortly to apologise and clarify the current position.
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