COUNCILLORS are being asked to decide which of eight sites across the district will be best to convert into a new school for up to 100 expelled pupils.

The hunt is on for a site for a new pupil referral unit that will teach secondary school pupils "outside of mainstream schools" and the authority is looking at sites in Bradford, Shipley and Keighley as possible locations for the project.

So far the preferred site is the former Bolling Special School site in Bowling, which has been empty since 2011, as the most suitable location, but all eight possible sites will go before the Council's children's scrutiny committee for consideration on Tuesday.

Last year some councillors had raised concerns that the unit being set up at the Bolling site was a foregone conclusion, which prompted the director of children's services, Michael Jameson, to promise the Council would look at several different options.

The committee will hear that the next most suitable site, the former Branshaw special school in Keighley, could cost £2 million because of the site's decrepit state.

 

Pupils who have been expelled from schools are taught in a mostly vocational environments, in numerous locations across the district. But recent changes to Government legislation means that they have to be provided with a more classroom-based education.

To achieve this, the Council has had to rent classroom space, but officers have now drawn up a shortlist of possible sites based on criteria that they are Council-owned, could accommodate up to 100 pupils, would be able to open in a short time period and could be refurbished for less than £430,000. It would also have to be near public transport links.

The other six possible sites are the Edwards Rainbow Centre in Holme Wood, which was a community centre until six months ago, the Scotchman Road Activity Centre in Manningham, which officers say has attracted the interest of a community consortium, the Brunswick Road Hostel in Greengates, which is used by the Children Social Care team, The Looked After Children building in Windhill, soon to be vacated, Reliance Works in Shipley, a vacant industrial unit and Unit 1 124 Dockfield Road, Shipley, an industrial building next to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

The report says: "The former Bolling Special School site appears to be the most suitable. The next highest scoring building is the former Branshaw Special School in Keighley. Conversion of this site would cost in excess of £2 million. Placing the unit in Keighley would increase the length of journeys to and from school for the majority of pupils."

Cllr Ralph Berry said: "We are trying to make sure we have good enough accommodation, for the new requirements for teaching these pupils maths and English. It will complement the customised needs of particular pupils."

The committee meets at City Hall at 4.30pm.

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