A new 630-pupil primary school will be built in Weston-super-Mare after the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) secured Government approval to run it.
The as-yet-unnamed school will be located on the former Weston Airfield site, and cater for pupils from across the growing 6,500-home Haywood Village and Parklands developments.
Nearby Haywood Village Academy is already over-subscribed, and the number of children living in the area is projected to grow by nearly 400 over the next seven years.
The new school will be built by housing developer Persimmon as part of its planning agreement for the site, and will be run by the CLF – a multi-academy trust with a strong track record of school delivery and improvement in the Weston area.
It already runs secondary academies Hans Price, Broadoak and the newly-built Winterstoke Hundred, as well as primaries Uphill Village, Haywood Village and Herons’ Moor.
All six of those schools are currently rated ‘outstanding’ or ‘good’ by Ofsted.
Claire Shiels, Director of Children’s Services at North Somerset Council, said: “May we take this opportunity of thanking all those who submitted applications for this opportunity; the field was very strong, and we were inspired by the commitment and passion shown by bidding teams for improving children’s lives through education throughout the process.
“We would like to congratulate CLF on their successful application and look forward to working with them on the delivery of this new school.”
In addition to a maximum capacity of 630 students, the new school will boast a 102-capacity nursery and sports facilities which will be available for community use.
Current projections suggest it could open in September 2025.
Steve Taylor, Chief Executive Officer at the Cabot Learning Federation, said: “We have been deeply invested in Weston-super-Mare since 2011, and specifically in the Haywood Village and Locking Parklands community since 2016.
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to continue to serve this community with provision for pupils aged two to 19, providing strong coherence between and across the phases.
“We’re also looking forward to working closely with North Somerset Council on another school building project, having enjoy excellent working relationships and real collaborative success in the past.”
And Craig Jones, Senior Principal at the CLF’s nearby Haywood Village Academy, added: “This is a really exciting opportunity for the growing community in Haywood Village.
“Families will now know they will have the choice of another excellent primary school, as well as nursery provision on their doorstep. The new school will be well supported by a local cluster of CLF primary schools.”
