DECISION

1.    Note the decisions of the Secretary of State for Education on 13 December 2023 and 24 April 2024, to approve the applications from the Governing Bodies of Columbia and Hermitage to convert the schools to academy status,  and that the Council has a statutory duty under law to facilitate the conversion process.

2.    Delegate to the Corporate Director for Children’s Services, in consultation with the Executive Mayor, the overall management and timing of the conversion process working with all relevant parties.

3.    Authorise the Council to enter into a commercial transfer agreement on suitably agreed terms, as well as any other necessary agreements with relevant third parties,  as described in paragraphs 3.4 – 3.25  of the report including  The School Agreement, The Principal Agreement, The Deed of Variation to the Project Agreement and the LGCA Certificate.

4.    Authorise the Council to negotiate with the Academy Sponsor –  London East Teacher Training Alliance (LETTA) Trust and agree the detailed terms of the leases for the Council owned land,  to allow for the operation of the Academy from the transfer date. To grant these leases for a period of 125 years for a ‘peppercorn rent’, in accordance with the relevant standard documentation produced by the Department for Education

5.    Authorise the Council to negotiate and conclude the terms for a Licence for Alterations to sit alongside the 125-year Lease at the Hermitage site to capture the works currently being undertaken pursuant to the building contract for the SEN Unit.

6.    Authorise the Council to negotiate and conclude a Deed of Assignment of the current Council underlease at the Columbia site, to be entered into alongside the 125-year Lease.

7.    Authorise the Divisional Director, Legal (Monitoring Officer), to execute all documentation required to implement the decisions

8.    Note the equalities considerations as set out in Paragraph 5.1 of the report.

Action by

CORPORATE DIRECTOR CHILDREN’S SERVICES (S. REDDY)

Head for Pupil Access and School Sufficiency (T. Bryan)

Councillor Maium Talukdar, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Education, Youth and Lifelong Learning (Statutory Deputy Mayor)) introduced the report that formally notified Cabinet of the Academy Orders issued by the Secretary of State for Education in respect of two council maintained community schools,  Columbia and Hermitage,  and to obtain the necessary authority to delegate responsibility required to named officers to facilitate the academy conversion process for and on behalf of the Council.

RESOLVED that the Mayor in Cabinet:

1.    Notes the decisions of the Secretary of State for Education on 13 December 2023 and 24 April 2024, to approve the applications from the Governing Bodies of Columbia and Hermitage to convert the schools to academy status,  and that the Council has a statutory duty under law to facilitate the conversion process.

2.    Delegates to the Corporate Director for Children’s Services, in consultation with the Executive Mayor, the overall management and timing of the conversion process working with all relevant parties.

3.    Authorises the Council to enter into a commercial transfer agreement on suitably agreed terms, as well as any other necessary agreements with relevant third parties,  as described in paragraphs 3.4 – 3.25.

4.    The School Agreement, The Principal Agreement, The Deed of Variation to the Project Agreement and the LGCA Certificate.

5.    Authorises the Council to negotiate with the Academy Sponsor –  London East Teacher Training Alliance (LETTA) Trust and agree the detailed terms of the leases for the Council owned land,  to allow for the operation of the Academy from the transfer date. To grant these leases for a period of 125 years for a ‘peppercorn rent’, in accordance with the relevant standard documentation produced by the Department for Education.

6.    Authorises the Council to negotiate and conclude the terms for a Licence for Alterations to sit alongside the 125-year Lease at the Hermitage site to capture the works currently being undertaken pursuant to the building contract for the SEN Unit.

7.    Authorises the Council to negotiate and conclude a Deed of Assignment of the current Council underlease at the Columbia site, to be entered into alongside the 125-year Lease.

8.    Authorises the Director, Legal (Monitoring Officer), to execute all documentation required to implement the decisions.

9.    Notes the equalities considerations as set out in Paragraph 5.1 of the report.