No it is not student accommodation, do your research properly. When the old reform school closed down, the University of Leeds tried to use the 1960s buildings - most of these were built as staff houses - as a student residence. The university soon abandoned the idea, the students did not like the remote location and lack of facilities. The site is owned by Barratt Homes who have applied for planning to build 71 houses on the site. Only the Chapel is listed, but this is now showing severe structural failure and its survival must be questionable. All the rest of the buildings are coming down - The 1960s buildings exhibit the typical wood rot of that era and the Victorian buildings are now so vandalised to be beyond economic conversion. In fact Leeds City Council offered to do the demolition on completion of the sale to Barratts, who refused to pay the estimated £200,000 costs!
The occupied house at the back of the site is owned by former members of the reform school staff. My wife and I met them whilst we were all walking our dogs, and got talking about the history of the place. They have worked and lived there for over thirty years, purchasing their house when the school closed. In the 1970s there were 100 boys at the school. the dormitories being the upper floors of the large stone building. The ground floor contained class rooms and dinning rooms etc. The old headmaster's house was so badly damaged by fire that it had to be demolished some time ago. A roofless, fire damaged 1960s building still stands.
The sight of the original reform school, that housed 100 boys, without high boundary walls/fences, makes a telling comparison with the new Secure Unit alongside. This unit surrounded by a high anti-climb fence, double locked gates and full cctv coverage, houses just 34 young offenders. A clear sign of the lessening standards in society today.
A word of warning. The occupiers have got so fed up with the nightly vandalism, that they now phone the security company every time they see or hear people in the abandoned buildings ( their dog has very good hearing). Security always attend accompanied by the Police. Whilst we were taking this afternoon, there were three persons banging about inside the Victorian building. Security had been informed, I was told, and sure enough they arrived with two police cars in attendance.
Sal
