Two new schools to be built and one expanded to meet demand in Rugby

Land around Rokeby Primary School has been identified as a site for Rugby Free Secondary School and a Special Free School.

If plans are approved, Rokeby Primary School at Anderson Avenue, will make way for the two new establishments and will be moved into new buildings on the surrounding fields, allowing it to expand and cater for more pupils.

While a new school is being built, from September 2016 Rugby Free Secondary School pupils will be 
located on the former Rokeby infant school site. The site of the current primary school will be adapted to create the new Special Free School which MacIntyre Academies has been approved to open in 2017.

The permanent site for the six-form entry secondary school will then be developed alongside the primary school.

Rugby Free Secondary School has been proposed by Knowledge School Trust, which successfully opened Rugby Free Primary School at Central Park in September 2015. Plans for the secondary school were approved into ‘pre-opening’ by the Department for Education, who will, subject to the finalisation of a Funding Agreement, fund and build the school through the Education Funding Agency. Tom Legge, of Knowledge School Trust, said: “We are delighted that the Rokeby site has been identified for Rugby Free Secondary School.

“We are committed to meeting the shortfall of places in Rugby from September 2016 and we are delighted the announcement of the location of our temporary and permanent home will give parents one of the major pieces of information required to choose our school.”

The close proximity of the schools will allow the sharing of facilities and to provide a scheme to deal with the movement of pupils and traffic.

Cllr Colin Hayfield, portfolio holder for schools and learning, said: “This represents very good news for all concerned.

“The growing demand for school places in and around the area has to be addressed and the potential expansion of Rokeby Primary School allows us to do this without any additional cost to the county council.

“We will now put plans out to consultation and get the views of local families.”

The special school will work in collaboration with Discovery Academy in Nuneaton which was opened by MacIntyre Academies in 2015.

This will increase Warwickshire’s capacity to educate its children with special educational needs within the county and provide 80 additional places for children with autism and social, emotional and mental health needs from 9 to 19 years of age.

Brenda Mullen of MacIntyre Academies said: “We are pleased to be part of the plans for increasing capacity in Rugby for all children. Children from the area who are currently travelling to Discovery Academy in Nuneaton will be able to be educated in their home town and we look forward to collaborating with the other two schools on the site.”