A major expansion at Rushcliffe Spencer Academy in West Bridgford has been approved.

The school joins a long list of schools across the county that will see millions of pounds invested by Nottinghamshire County Council over the next 12 – 18 months.

The multi-million pound expansion at Rushcliffe Spencer Academy will see an additional 560 secondary school places created and provide the local community with a new improved sports facility.

Hundreds of school places are needed following the addition of thousands of new homes in the catchment area in recent years.

The County Council's Cabinet for Economic Development and Strategic Asset Management approved funding of an additional £27million to deliver the works to be covered by the Council’s basic need allocation budget and housing developer contributions.

-- Advertisement --

Contractors Morgan Sindall will deliver the scheme for The Spencer Academies Trust with Arc Partnership managing the works on behalf of the County Council.

Councillor Keith Girling, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Strategic Asset Management, said: "Building and expanding schools is one of the key ambitions of this council. There is no better investment than securing children get a good education.

"This is an investment in our children's future. The next few years will be an exciting time for school developments, with expansions and improvements planned across the county, and it is a development that I'm fully behind.

"The approval for expansion of Rushcliffe Spencer Academy addresses the growing demand we’re seeing for secondary school places in Rushcliffe."

The expansion will comprise of a stand- alone new teaching block with dining facilities and sports hall and associated changing facilities, remodelling works to existing buildings, improvements to the external area such as school access, car parking and grass roots pitch areas. The demolition of the existing Rushcliffe Leisure Centre is also included in the works.

More than 50 new jobs will be created for local people in both teaching and support roles, to meet the needs of the growing school population.