New school given go-ahead on key regeneration site near Chesterfield
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The new primary academy will be a vital element in the transformation of The Avenue site at Wingerworth – a vast former coking works which was once one of the most polluted areas in Europe.
Avenue CofE Primary School – which has been under discussion for many years as part of the development – is one of 50 schools to be built in the next wave of the Government’s school building programme.
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Hide AdNorth East Derbyshire MP Lee Rowley said confirmation of the plans was ‘fantastic news’.
“It is yet another brilliant example of us levelling up our infrastructure in North East Derbyshire and being ambitious for the long-term,” he said.
"Huge congratulations to everyone who has been involved in developing the plans so far and I look forward to seeing the school open in the coming years.”
Coun Barry Lewis, Wingerworth councillor and leader of Derbyshire County Council, said: “We’re really pleased to have supported this successful bid which I’m delighted will see a much-needed brand new school to benefit our communities to the south of Chesterfield.”
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Hide AdThe school will be run by the Derbyshire Diocesan Academy Trust (DDAT), and Derbyshire County Council has worked with the trust and the Department for Education on the bid for funding, which will come from a combination of housing developer funds and direct funding from the Government.
It will be developed as part of the Government’s Free School programme and the trust says it will create much needed nursery and primary school places for families as the number of homes on The Avenue site increases.
Trust bosses say the proposed school will be ‘inclusive and open to pupils from families of all backgrounds and faiths (including no faith) where every child will be welcomed, respected and nurtured’.
The site will also include a nursery offering 26 places for children.
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Hide AdChief executive officer of DDAT, Mark Mallender, said: “I am thrilled that the Department for Education has approved our application for a new primary school and nursery serving the Wingerworth and Clay Cross areas.
"We now have the opportunity to work with parents and the community to develop a highly effective school that will ensure our pupils make exceptional progress and leave fully
prepared for their secondary education.
"The DDAT team are ready and excited to begin detailed work on developing this school and will ensure that plans are shared with the community as part of future consultations.”
Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for young people, Councillor Alex Dale, said he was ‘delighted’ the Government had announced its support to build the school.
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Hide Ad“Building a new primary for the Avenue site will help to provide places for all those children whose families move into new homes on the site.”
The trust will now start planning its pre-opening programme, including consultations and events in the area, leading up to the opening of the school.