Suffolk County Council leaders to discuss preferred trust to take on Henley Gate primary school in Ipswich

Top council leaders are set to decide the preferred Trust to run a town’s new 420-place school.

The new school is part of the Ipswich Garden Suburb (IGS), a housing development meant to deliver 3,500 new homes, and is set to open in 2027.

Paradigm Academy Trust has been chosen as the preferred option to run the school, with the county council’s cabinet members due to cement their decision next Tuesday.

If approved, officers would inform the Secretary of State, who would make the final decision.

The Henley Gate primary school is the first of three potential schools to be delivered with the housing development and will sit within two miles of the new homes.

The officer’s report states: “The new school will support health and wellbeing by enabling children and families to access a school place within their local community.

“This will encourage children to access their school place and by engaging in education, will support children and families in their wellbeing and to make healthy choices.”

It also adds Paradigm performed with a high standard to be able to deliver the 420 new primary schools and 60 early years places, having also stated they were keen on establishing a KS1 unit for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Under the terms of the council’s growth policy, pre-start and set-up funding would also be made available to the trust to establish the new school.