A new primary school built on a growing Northamptonshire residential development will receive £1.2m to add the finishing touches before its gates open for the first time this September.
North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) approved the million-pound budget for Glenvale Park Primary School, funded by the Department for Education (DfE), at an executive panel on May 16. The new two-form entry school will provide places for up to 420 pupils as well as a 75-place nursery.
The school's opening date was made possible after the council backed plans to move Wilby CE Primary to the new facility, just on the northern edge of Wellingborough.
The massive urban extension to the north of Wellingborough is due to provide an additional 3,000 homes to the town, but with construction still ongoing not enough families have moved in. Had the village school transfer not taken place there would not have been enough demand in the immediate area to open the school until 2025 at the earliest.
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The small village primary school in Wilby currently resides in an old Victorian school building built in 1854. After applying for relocation, current students will move to the new modern facility when they go back to school this September.
The £1,278,260 from the DfE's Basic Needs Grant will go towards installing furniture for Glenvale Park School and contributing to buying equipment for the prospective students.
Cllr Scott Edwards, executive member for children, families and education, said: "It’s a fantastic opportunity for children from that school to have everything brand new. The children are excited about attending their new school as are the teachers as well."
Following the move of the village school, further capital investment will be required to repurpose the old Wilby site and address condition issues. The council has indicated that it intends to use the building to deliver additional SEND or alternative provision places.
A separate report detailing the necessary funding and specific plans for the building will be brought forward by NNC in due course.
