Words by Adam Smith
Erdington Academy has been given the go-ahead to increase the number of its pupils from 900 to 1,200 after Birmingham City Council agreed to inject nearly £6.8 million into the school.
The Kingsbury Road secondary school will be refurbished and a brand new two story teaching block will be built on site – with work beginning next month and completed by Christmas 2021.
The new teaching block will include science labs and prep rooms, a drama teaching space, staff work rooms, office space and new staff and pupil toilets.
Birmingham City Council’s cabinet approved the £6,825,463 capital investment after a report from Dr Tim O’Neill, Director for Education and Skills, which said the authority had “a statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient pupil places.”
The near £7m bill will be paid for from the Department for Education (DfE) Basic Need Grant and School Condition Grant.
However, consequential revenue costs arising from additional places including additional staffing, utility costs and any on-going day to day repair and maintenance will be the responsibility of Erdington Academy.
Balfour Beatty has been chosen as the construction partner for the scheme and ground is set to be broken at the school on November 23.
Councillor Jayne Francis, cabinet member for education, skills and culture, backed the new investment into Erdington Academy.
She said: “We have a duty to ensure that sufficient school places are available in our city.
“Erdington Academy currently has 900 pupils, and the proposal is to expand two forms of entry to 1,200 places for pupils aged 11 to 16 years old.
“There’s been a slight delay with planning, so it will be heard toward the end of September and once secured we will be able to carry on with completion of the work.”
Erdington Academy (formerly Kingsbury School and Sports College) converted to an Academy within the Fairfax Multi Academy Trust (FMAT) in 2016.
To find out more about Erdington Academy visit www.erdingtonacademy.bham.sch.uk
For more on Fairfax Multi Academy Trust (FMAT), visit www.fmat.co.uk