Cardiff Council in the UK has agreed to a 10-year Strategic Partnering Agreement (SPA) with a joint venture of Welsh Government and private sector partner Meridiam Investments II SAS, to deliver future schools, including in principle Willows High School and Cathays High School.

The project will be developed under the Mutual Investment Model (MIM) model. MIM is a national scheme that has been developed by Welsh Government to borrow funds via the private sector, to design and build schools and to maintain the fabric of the buildings over a 25 year period.

In developing its outline program for Band B 21st Century Schools, the Council prioritized a list of projects and schemes. Willows and Cathays High Schools were identified as category D condition, meaning they are nearing the end of operational life and both schemes meetWelsh Government's criteria for inclusion as a MIM scheme, as set out below:

• Willows High School could be rebuilt either as an 11-16 8FE school or in conjunction with a new build primary provision.
• Cathays High School is intended to be a rebuild scheme for an 11-18 school expanding from 6FE to 8FE with 6th form.