Our principal decision-making body, Executive Board, previously approved implementation of the following decisions:
- to retain 9 nurseries - Chapeltown, New Bewerley, Little London, Harehills, Swarcliffe, Seacroft, Middleton Laurel Bank, Two Willows, Armley Moor
- to withdraw from 3 nurseries - Chapel Allerton, Gipton North and Kentmere. These nurseries closed on 30 August 2024
- to undertake a market sounding exercise for 12 nurseries - Shepherds Lane, Meanwood, St Mary's Hunslet, Hawksworth Wood, City & Holbeck, Parklands, Quarry Mount, Bramley, Hunslet Rylestone, Osmondthorpe, Rothwell, Burley Park
Outcome of the market sounding exercise
The outcome of the market sounding exercise was presented to the Executive Board on 16 October 2024. The board has approved implementation of the following decisions:
That subject to a successful outcome of detailed discussion with schools and alternative providers, none of the following 12 settings will be retained by Leeds City Council for direct delivery: Shepherds Lane, Meanwood, St Mary's Hunslet, Hawksworth Wood, City and Holbeck, Parklands, Quarry Mount, Bramley, Hunslet Rylestone, Osmondthorpe, Rothwell, Burley Park.
In the event that those detailed discussions do not progress to a satisfactory conclusion, the Council's default position will be that settings are retained by the Council and directly delivered.
To engage in detailed conversations with neighbouring schools around their interest in operating Little Owls nurseries at St Mary's Hunslet, Parklands, Hawksworth Wood, Quarry Mount and if required, agree to a procurement process and other statutory consultation processes with the individual neighbouring schools.
Enter a formal procurement process with alternative providers for the future provision at the following settings, Shepherds Lane, City and Holbeck, Hunslet Rylestone, Rothwell, Meanwood, Bramley, Osmondthorpe and Burley Park.
Details of the formal procurement process will be published here.
Decision-making timeline
| Stage | Date |
|---|
| Market sounding exercise | 19 August 2024 until 27 September |
| Closure of Kentmere; Chapel Allerton and Gipton North Little Owls | By end of August 2024 |
| Executive Board - Reporting 'Outcome of Market Sounding Exercise' | 16 October 2024 |
Procurement tender update
Thank you to all the childcare providers who took part in the Market Sounding Exercise (MSE) or have expressed interest in the future of Little Owls provision in Leeds.
It is our intention to advertise a tender over the coming months, so please turn on your notifications on YORtender to be notified and ensure that the YORtender email address is saved in your contacts, so this doesn’t go into spam. We will specifically invite any providers who submitted an MSE to the tender, so you will receive a specific email about this tender when it goes live.
We have a large list of interested parties who have contacted us via our email address
LittleOwlsReview@leeds.gov.uk and will also distribute any updates to that list.
