We are pleased to announce that after working with the Department of Education, followed by a detailed inspection of the school and many planning sessions, that Tarleton Academy is to have a brand-new school, built on the existing site.

50 schools have now been confirmed in the first wave a ten-year rebuilding programme, with more than 70% of the schools announced located in the North and Midlands and supported by £1 billion in funding. The first 50 projects announced by the government will mark the start of the School Rebuilding Programme, which is due to deliver 500 rebuilding projects over the next decade.

The schools include primary, secondary and special schools as well as a sixth form college in West Yorkshire. The initial rebuilds and refurbishments are planned to create modern education environments, with brand new facilities. The schools are also planned to be much greener, with a zero-carbon emissions target.

The criteria used to decide on which schools were to be prioritised was:

· They have buildings of specific construction types that require replacement.

· Their buildings have the highest condition need.

We are so pleased that in the next few years our students and staff will have access to modern, state-of-the-art facilities. Current plans will retain our existing sports hall, but we are looking forward to a brand-new swimming pool. The new school will be set much further back on the site, around where the existing sports hall is situated. We are taking seriously the impact on our neighbours and careful planning will ensure that the new build will be an improvement for everyone in the village and surrounding areas.

Obviously, we take our role as a centre for the community very seriously and these new facilities will also enable us to provide improved opportunities for all our primary partners along with a continued and ever developing out of hours’ community provision.

The Chair of our Local Academy Council, Mr Graham Pilkington, on hearing the news said:

“Tarleton Academy prides itself on the quality of its teaching and support staff and it is great news that the school will get the improved quality of buildings to enable the staff and students within the school to continue to flourish and thrive. Tarleton’s Academy Council look forward to working with the School and Trust to help in the smooth delivery of this very exciting development.”