Living in Leicester is great for families, but the future looks even brighter for people with children who are considering buying or renting property in the area thanks to a host of potential new school opportunities.

Several organisations are said to be planning to bid to set up free schools, offering more choice for parents who choose to rent or buy a home in Leicester.

The Rushey Mead Educational Trust (RMET) includes the West Midlands Academy Trust, Beaumont Leys’ Babington Community College and Rushey Mead Academy. It has confirmed it has plans for a school in the Leicester city centre area.

An RMET spokesman said that an application will be made to the Department for Education for a secondary school for pupils aged 11-16. It is expected that the school would have a strong academic focus.

There are also rumours that Evington’s Madani School will submit an application, although this has not yet been confirmed. Plans by De Montfort University have also not been confirmed, although speculation is rife that a bid could be made.

New Era for Education in Leicester

If permission is granted for the schools, it is expected that they could be accepting pupils by the start of the new academic year in 2018.

Babington wants to create a secondary free school for pupils aged between 11 and 16, where the focus is placed on vocational education.

Super-head David Kershaw is involved in the current free school plans. He is the West Midlands Academies Trust chief executive and is well known in the area as the former super-head of Fullhurst Community College and New College. Both of these schools were lifted out of Ofsted special measures under his leadership.

He said that there were plans to bid to set up a mixed school for three- to 18-year-olds which will be open to all denominations or children who follow no religion.

‘Outstanding Opportunities’ for Children

Mr Kershaw said that Leicester would benefit from schools such as this, and the trust was convinced that ‘outstanding educational opportunities’ could be offered to pupils.

Oadby’s Beauchamp College recently announced its plans to open three free schools. Consultations are due to start soon about the proposals for Evington, Braunstone and Aylestone.

Krishna Avanti, the city’s first Hindu primary school, has also applied to run its own all-through facility in Leicester’s north-eastern area.

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