Expansion of academy will ease demand for places
HUNDREDS more places are set to be created at a Nottingham school which is currently “significantly oversubscribed” in terms of applications.
Plans have been revealed for a two-year building programme to expand Bluecoat Wollaton Academy, with students being housed in temporary classrooms while construction is taking place.
The academy is run by Archway Learning Trust, which operates a network of ten schools including in areas such as Aspley and Beechdale. Based in Sutton Passeys Crescent, the new plans would see the Bluecoat Wollaton Academy expanding by 300 places, divided into 60 extra places per year group.
Just over £440,000 of funding has now been approved by Nottingham City Council for initial work to start on the project, with building work expected to begin in September. April Corey, senior project manager at the city council, writes in a report about the need for the project: “Despite the investment in secondary capacity to date, there is still insufficient capacity to meet the needs of the city’s population.
“Significant place pressure is currently set to continue up to 2028/2029. While we anticipated significant increase in demand, the actual pupil numbers have been even higher due to more recent increased inward migration to the city which has added to the pressure in Year 7 and across year groups.”
The initial funding has come from a mixture of developer contributions and the basic needs grant - money handed to councils by the Government to help them ensure there are enough school places. The developer contributions have come from those working behind projects at Gateway House and the former Melbury School.
An expansion of Nottingham Emmanuel School, also run by Archway Learning Trust, was also considered but the city council says there is less need for new places in the east and south of the city. Wollaton’s growth would be phased over five years, with an increase of 60 students per year.
A consultation with parents remains ongoing and closes on Monday. The academy trust says the plans could also mean new jobs created at the Wollaton school.