LocatED has been established to acquire land and buildings across
the country to help the government build 500 new free schools by
2020 and create 600,000 new school places by 2021.
Free schools are providing more good school places in more parts
of the country. Recent analysis of Ofsted inspections shows 29%
of free school inspected have been rated ‘outstanding’ – which
means as a proportion free schools are the highest-performing
group of non-selective state schools.
More than 9 in 10 free schools have been approved in areas where
a need for more school places has already been identified, and
the remainder have been created by local communities deciding
they wanted more choice. Free schools are ensuring more parents
have access to a good local school place for their children.
LocatED will act on behalf of the government to secure the right
sites, at the right price, to ensure hundreds more free schools
can open.
Schools Systems Minister said:
Part of the government’s plan for Britain is building a fairer
society, with a good school place for every child. Free schools
are playing a vital role in creating those school places. They
are popular with parents, ensuring thousands more families have
the choice of a good local school.
We need to secure hundreds of new free schools in order to keep
pace in creating 600,000 new school places by 2021. LocatED has
the skills and expertise to find and secure land and buildings
to ensure our free schools ambition becomes a reality.
With 29% of free schools inspected rated ‘outstanding’ by
Ofsted - LocatED will play a vital role in helping us create
thousands more good and outstanding school places for future
generations of children.
LocatED’s Chief Executive Lara Newman MBE said:
We understand the scale of the challenge and the property
landscape. LocatED has the expertise and will operate at pace
to negotiate with multiple partners across the private and
public sector. We work directly with landowners, agents and
developers to secure sites for new free schools, whilst
ensuring the best value for the taxpayer.
Chief Executive of the Education Funding Agency Peter Lauener
said:
LocatED will improve the experience for free school trusts, for
many of whom finding a site is the main challenge to opening a
school. The establishment of LocatED places this challenge in
the hands of a specialist team of commercial property
professionals.
LocatED is a government-owned property company and will operate
with a £2 billion budget, making it one of largest purchasers of
land in the UK. Working directly with landowners, agents and
developers across Britain, LocatED has been established to help
overcome some of the challenges of securing sites and land for
new free schools.
LocatED will also secure sites to help deliver the additional 110
free schools announced in the budget (Wednesday 8 March).
LocatED has a multidisciplinary team with specialist skills and
extensive property sector experience who will negotiate complex
deals with multiple partners across the private and public sector
to get the best possible value for money for the taxpayer.
Alongside the launch, the distinguished LocatED board with a
range of private and public sector property acquisition and
development experience has been announced.
Lara Newman MBE, Chief Executive of LocatED - with over 20 years
of property experience, Lara has operated at the heart of the
free schools policy since its introduction. Previously a Board
Director at Cleanslate Ltd, a development and property consulting
company, Lara worked with many of the UK’s biggest landowners,
agents and developers. Prior to that, Miss Newman was Managing
Director at Navigant Consulting, where she specialised in
property deals and complex capital investment projects for
government education capital programmes.
Michael Strong, Board Chairman - 15 years as Chairman of CBRE,
previously CEO of CBRE. Non-executive Director: NHS Property
Services Ltd, The Osborne Group and Waterman Group.
Phil Ellis, Non-executive Board Member - Previously Client
Portfolio Director at Aviva Investors, 33 years institutional
property investment management, investor relations and business
development experience through all business cycles.
Jayne Maclennan, Non-executive Board Member - Group Director of
Property FirstGroup plc. Non-executive Board Member and Chair of
Remuneration Committee for Glasgow Prestwick Airport.
Non-executive Director Aberdeen Harbour Board.
Rudd-Jones, Non-executive
Board Member - Managing Director of Kajima Partnerships and
Kajima Properties, the two principal UK operating businesses of
Kajima Corporation, with extensive experience in commercial
property development and the funding, delivery and management of
social infrastructure.
Caroline Tolhurst, Non-executive Board Member - Executive career
as a Chartered Surveyor, Compliance Officer and Chartered
Secretary. Operated at board level for 20 years including 10
years as Company Secretary to Grosvenor. Current, Board and Audit
Committee member and Chair of Governance & Remuneration
Committee at A2Dominion Housing Group.
